Madoka Magica Returns After 13 Years — Walpurgisnacht: Rising Opens in Japan

Article

A direct sequel 13 years in the making has finally arrived in Japanese theaters, with the creative team that built the original series returning intact.

What Opened, and When

Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie -Walpurgisnacht: Rising- began its Japanese theatrical run on August 28, 2026, playing in both standard and IMAX screenings.

A Direct Sequel to Rebellion

The film is the direct continuation of 2013's Puella Magi Madoka Magica the Movie: Rebellion, picking up the story roughly 13 years after that earlier film left Japanese and international fans with one of the franchise's most debated cliffhangers.

The Team Behind It

Central creative figures from the original series and Rebellion return for this installment: director Akiyuki Shinbo, screenwriter Gen Urobuchi, character designer Ume Aoki, and animation studio SHAFT — the same combination widely credited with the franchise's distinctive visual and narrative identity.

Where to Watch It

The film is playing in Japanese theaters in both standard and IMAX formats.

A Note on Spoilers

Given how recently the film opened and how significant Rebellion's ending was for the franchise's story, specific plot details are intentionally left out here — this is a heads-up that the film exists and is now playing, not a breakdown of what happens in it.

Ask Marine

Curious about the wider Madoka Magica franchise, or what other magical-girl-adjacent anime TBM has covered? Ask Marine.

What To Know

For a fanbase that has waited 13 years since Rebellion left its story on a genuine cliffhanger, a direct sequel with the exact same core creative team returning — not a spin-off, not a reboot — is a rare and significant event, and one worth knowing about even before spoilers start circulating online.

A 13-year gap between a franchise entry and its direct sequel is unusual even by anime industry standards, and having the original director, writer, character designer, and studio all return intact for it reflects how carefully this particular continuation was handled rather than being a quick follow-up cash-in.

What Fans Are Saying

Original Japanese

Easy Japanese

「まどか☆マギカ」の新しい映画が、2026年8月28日に日本で公開されました。2013年の映画の直接の続きです。