It seems like it’s been forever since we’ve heard details on FUNimation’s release of Evangelion 3.33: You Can (Not) Redo. The film, which first hit theaters in 2012, was licensed by FUNimation in June 2013. The Japanese Blu-Ray release hit a couple of months later, in September 2013.
For many, that’s where the story ended. The Blu-Ray release has been available for pre-order for well over a year, though FUNimation gave no real details on a release date. FUNimation has been mum on the title, and most retailers shifted their release estimates to a vague “To Be Determined” status.
Earlier today, FUNimation offered the first real news on the film’s release. The company announced that they are working with Hideaki Anno’s Studio Khara for the release. Apparently, Khara asked to be involved, and will produce their own subtitle tracks for the Blu-Ray.
If anything, today’s news was a bit of a curiosity. Khara’s involvement hints at a more ambitious release than previously expected. What the studio will contribute outside of the subtitle track remains to be seen, though any major contributions by Khara will likely be eagerly announced by FUNimation in due time.
We still don’t have a firm release date, but the reveal is encouraging. The fact that FUNimation is offering real, substantive information on Evangelion 3.33 is an indicator that they are starting to gear up for the inevitable release. If I were a betting man, I’d wager that more details will be released in the build-up to convention season, when we’ll finally get that all-important release date.
At this point, though, we’ll be going on two years since the announcement, and three years since the film was originally in theaters. This is an eternity, given the fast pace of the industry, and the rapid flow of titles via both streaming services and retail.
While I’m confident that Evangelion will overcome the issue of customer apathy (it’s Evangelion, after all), I can’t help but expect to see some excitement dampened by the outstanding wait time. All we can really do at this point is wait and see how things turn out.
