Two Evangelion Movies Are Returning to Theaters in July

To call the original Neon Genesis Evangelion ending “controversial” would be something of an understatement. What began as a “giant robots battling giant monsters” series had grown increasingly bizarre, weaving in strands of Christian mysticism and psychoanalysis, before culminating in a truly surreal finale that seemed to completely ditch the original storyline.

Fans were confused and irate, so much so that some even issued death threats against series creator Hideaki Anno and the Gainax studio. In response, Anno and Gainax released two movies: Neon Genesis Evangelion: Death & Rebirth and The End of Evangelion.

The former recapped the series’ first 24 episodes while the latter was, in part, a giant middle finger directed at those Evangelion fans who wanted a more action-oriented ending. The End of Evangelion is certainly filled with action, but Anno takes it to apocalyptic and even traumatizing extremes while also throwing in some of the most bizarre imagery in anime history, only to end things on a grimly ambiguous note. And it served as the final word on Evangelion until Anno began work on the Rebuild of Evangelion project in the mid ’00s.

To help mark the 30th anniversary of the original Neon Genesis Evangelion series, which concluded in March 1996, GKids is releasing both Death & Rebirth and The End of Evangelion into theaters for one day each. Death & Rebirth will screen on July 21 with The End of Evangelion following on July 22. Watch the trailers for both films below.

In other anime news, GKids’ annual Studio Ghibli Fest is currently happening. My Neighbor Totoro — which was directed by Hideaki Anno’s mentor, the great Hayao Miyazaki — will screen in July, followed by Tales from Earthsea, Only Yesterday, Castle in the Sky, and more in the following months.