Neon Genesis Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: Thrice Upon a Time is finally getting a theatrical release date in the USA. The film is coming to theaters on December 6th, 8th, and 11th of 2022.
More than a year after the movie debuted worldwide on Amazon Prime, American viewers will finally get to experience the film on the big screen. A few weeks back, GKIDS announced via Twitter that they had the rights to the film and intended to release it, but no official dates had been confirmed or relayed at the time.
While this is not the first time the movie has been in theaters, it will be the first time playing in North American theaters. After several Covid-related delays, the film premiered in Japan with good reception and numbers.
Along with the announcement of the movie hitting theaters, GKIDS also announced that Neon Genesis 3.0 + 1.0 would also be getting a home video release as well, but there are no dates for that at this time.
When will I be able to purchase tickets?
Along with the official date announcement on Twitter, GKIDS also stated that tickets for the film would go on sale in advance.
Fans of the series will be able to purchase tickets for the film starting in November 2022. You can sign up on the GKIDS Evangelion web page to get updates regarding the release of the movie.
What is the Neon Genesis Evangelion franchise about?
If you’re unfamiliar with the film or even the Neon Genesis franchise in general, you may be wondering what it’s about. While the series has received plenty of hype throughout the years, it was almost impossible for a lot of fans to access until Netflix began streaming the series in 2019.
The series follows Shinji Ikari, a student living in the futuristic city of Tokyo-3 fifteen years after a devastating global catastrophe known as the Second Impact. While being summoned by his estranged father Gendo to NERV Headquarters, for reasons unknown to him, Shinji witnesses an attack on the city by a monstrous anomaly known as an Angel. It’s clearly decimating the city, and conventional weapons are having little to no effect on the mysterious creature.
It is only after he arrives at NERV, that Shinji realizes why he was summoned. According to his father, he is the only person capable of piloting Eva Unit 1, a giant mechanical robot with the advanced capabilities necessary to take down an angel. Although he is reluctant, Shinji agrees to help, unaware of the irreparable damage that not only piloting an Eva, but sticking around NERV, will have on everything from his physical wellbeing to his psyche as well.
There’s a reason why this series is often considered one of the best anime of all time. It’s not only action-packed and visually captivating, but the story is still relevant even today. If you’ve never given the series a shot, there’s still plenty of time to catch up on it before the movie premieres in theaters.
What is Neon Genesis Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: Thrice Upon a Time about?
If you still haven’t seen the last movie, or maybe hadn’t heard of it, you may want to know what you’re getting yourself into.
Neon Genesis Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: Thrice Upon a Time is the fourth and final installment of the Rebuild of Evangelion movie series. The series follows Shinji, Asuka, and Rei after NERV fails to carry out their Human Instrumentality Project, where they intended to initiate The Third Impact and likely cause mass devastation.
After taking refuge in a survivors’ settlement, Shinji slowly begins to come to terms with his time as an Eva pilot, while cultivating a new life for himself outside of that. Yet, NERV still looms, attempting to carry out their plans by any means necessary. As new secrets emerge, Shinji believes that he can be of help by piloting an Eva as he did in the past, but will he have what it takes to save the world one last time?
Do I need to watch the series or other movies to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0: Thrice Upon a Time?
Whether you’re new to the series, or an avid fan, it can still be confusing figuring out just how to watch the series and movies together. The short answer is yes, you need to be at least somewhat familiar with the series to understand this film.
There are a number of articles out there that will walk you through how to watch the series depending on if you want to watch in release order or chronological order. Here are guides from Games Radar and Otaku Quest just to offer a few.
As someone who has seen the series and all of the movies, I would personally recommend watching the Neon Genesis Evangelion series in its entirety first. It sets the foundation for everything else, and luckily Netflix has all 26 episodes of the series, including the director’s cuts of 21-24. After completing this, it is best to watch the End of Evangelion movie to really tie everything up.
I would suggest watching the Rebuild of Evangelion movies next. They are essentially a reboot, or retelling of the main series, with plenty of new material to keep things interesting. This includes:
- Neon Genesis Evangelion 1.0 You Are (Not) Alone
- Neon Genesis Evangelion 2.0 You Can (Not) Advance
- Neon Genesis Evangelion 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo
- Neon Genesis Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0 Thrice Upon a Time
Although it is not necessary, it is still fun to watch Neon Genesis Evangelion Death and Rebirth. It is mostly a retelling of the series, but there is some added material to it that can make it worth checking out, especially for die-hard fans.