The new Sword Art Online movie will come out in 2021.
The creators revealed a new visual, movie trailer, and other basic information about the film on Sunday.
If you can’t see the video on YouTube, you can find it here:
《閃光》と《黒の剣士》の出会いの物語
『劇場版 ソードアート・オンライン プログレッシブ 星なき夜のアリア』
2021年公開決定！
公式サイト：https://t.co/GH3mfREDHK
特報第1弾：https://t.co/XqrKNxuDQh#sao_anime pic.twitter.com/rkNwiFdTfk— アニメ ソードアート・オンライン 公式 (@sao_anime) November 8, 2020
The new film will be called Sword Art Online: Progressive – Starless Night Aria. It is based upon the Sword Art Online: Progressive series of light novels.
In turn, the Progressive light novels are considered to be a remake or a reboot of Reki Kawahara’s original Sword Art Online light novel series.
The subtitle of the movie comes from the title of the first part of the first Sword Art Online: Progressive novel. It can also be translated as Aria of a Starless Night, or Aria of the Night Without Stars.
The visual shows Asuna and Kirito, the two main characters throughout all versions of the story.
What does Progressive cover?
The Sword Art Online: Progressive novels retell the first arc of the original series, starting from the first level of Aincrad. There have been six Progressive books so far.
Although the title is a reference to the first book, it is not clear how much of the Progressive story will be covered in the movie. They have yet to announce a Progressive anime series.
But, we can expect to see Kirito and Asuna battle their way through the deathtrap that is Aincrad.
Progressive also shows how Kirito became known as the Black Swordsman.
Yoshitsugu Matsuoka will return as Kirito. Haruka Tomatsu is back as Asuna.
A-1 Pictures will animate the film. Ayako Kawano will direct.
Incidentally, the new movie news arrived just as the cast and crew of the current SAO anime series celebrated the end of the whole Sword Art Online: Alicization arc with a special live event.
SAOのイベントありがとうございました✨アリシゼーションを振り返りましたが、どのシーンも心が震えずっと感動していました。参加する事が出来て本当に嬉しかったです。イベントでもお話しましたがSAO、ティーゼに出会えて良かった。これからもよろしくお願いします。夏織 #sao_anime https://t.co/C5h2B6EbQs
— 石原夏織 STAFF (@kaori_staff_) November 8, 2020