Rebellion came out in 2013. A whole generation of anime fans grew up in the thirteen years it took to get the next one. It's out in Japan now, and this weekend it got louder.
## The new material At Aniplex's One Focus event on September 12, per Anime News Network, Walpurgisnacht Rising showed a new post-release trailer and a fresh visual by original character designer Ume Aoki. The reveal was Maaya Sakamoto, the voice of Ciel in Black Butler and Motoko in the Arise-era Ghost in the Shell, cast as a mystery upperclassman named Wasu. That's a new character in a story that's been closed for over a decade.
## Where it stands The film opened in Japan on August 28 from Shaft and Aniplex, with Gekidan Inu Curry directing and Gen Urobuchi back on script. No U.S. date has been announced. Aniplex of America usually brings the Madoka films to theaters within a season, so the smart money is a winter run, but nothing is on paper.
## Why the show cares Madoka is one of the few anime that's a household name with people who don't watch anime. The 2011 series rewrote what a magical-girl show could be, and Rebellion's ending is still argued about like a Nolan movie. A direct sequel with the original team is the anime film of the year for a big chunk of the 25-to-45 audience, even if it's a Japan-only story for now.
## Sources - Anime News Network, Sept. 12, 2026 — Madoka Magica: Walpurgisnacht Rising film reveals new promo video, visual: https://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2026-09-12/madoka-magica-walpurgisnacht-rising-anime-film-reveals-new-promo-video-visual/.241705

