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Evangelion Films' Increasing Postponement Laid Out

Production delays have plagued Khara and Hideaki Anno's Evangelion film's release schedules. Initially announced as a trilogy in 2006, the "Rebuild of Evangelion" were tenatively planned for early summer 2007, followed by the next film in spring 2008, and the last in early summer 2008.

Fast-forward a year and the films get their titles and a first round of scheduling adjustments. Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone is pushed to September 1, 2007 which falls more into early fall than summer. Evangelion: 2.0 You Can [Not] Advance is changed to simply 2008 and Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo keeps its release as early summer 2008 with a caveat that it may change.

Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone is released without a hitch but the staff again re-evaluate 2.0 and 3.0 in 2008 and decide Evangelion: 2.0 You Can [Not] Advance will be pushed back to June 27, 2009. The staff state that the film's screenplay was finalized in March 2007 and storyboards for the first draft are about 2/3 complete. They decided to go over it again along with the film's overall work method and approach after Evangelion 1.0 is released. Anno feels an increase of expectations that must be met after the huge fan reaction to the introduction of Mari. Evangelion: 3.0's release date is changed to simply TBD.

In 2009, Evangelion: 3.0's name is changed from its tentative title of Evangelion Shin Gekijōban: Kyū (where "Kyū" used the kanji for "rapid") to Evangelion Shin Gekijōban: Q (where the represented "Quickening"). The retitle was made at the suggestion of storyboard artist Shinji Higuchi. In 2011, the film's TBD status is finally changed to fall 2012.

So January 2012 rolls around and Khara announces that the trilogy has expanded to include four films. Evangelion 3.0 was previously promoted with a "+" afterwards but it's now broken off into its own film entirely. The yet untitled fourth film is expected to open almost simultaneously with Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo that fall. In July, 3.0's release is slated for November 17, 2012 while the new fourth film is pushed back to 2013. It's said to be a two, 45 minute parts that includes a sequel to 3.0 plus a final chapter.

Evangelion: 3.0 opens in November, the fourth film is given the unpronounceable title of Evangelion Shin Gekijōban:|| and its 2013 opening is replaced with TBD. The English title is changed in September 2014 from Evangelion: FINAL to Evangelion 3.0 + 1.0. In November 2014, Hideaki Anno produces the Japan Animator Expo net anime shorts. In April 2015 it's announced Anno will work on the new Japanese Godzilla film for TOHO.

These constant delays have, in some ways, extended to both sides of the pond. Funimation is only releasing Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo on home video this coming February, after screening it in theaters in 2014 and multiple delays. Funimation reported last year that it is working directly with Hideaki Anno's Studio Khara for the home video release. Khara decided it will create its own special subtitle tracks for the release. Manga Entertainment's release was also delayed.'

[Via Minna no Eva Fan]