Tomohiko Itou, the director of the popular anime series Sword Art Online, will be premiering his new animated film, Hello World, sometime in fall 2019. This will mark the first time the veteran series director has attempted a theatrical release unrelated to the Sword Art universe.

Itou made a name for himself working on a number of high-profile series over the years. He got his start creating storyboards and assisting in the direction for series like Death Note and Blue Exorcist before making his debut as a series director on Sword Art Online in 2012. Since then, he has helmed the series while finding time to direct self-contained series like Silver Spoon and Erased, which are both highly regarded. Now, he'll be tackling something new in the world of anime.

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According to Anime! Anime!, Itou has unveiled his next directing project: an upcoming anime film titled Hello World. The film will not be based on a manga or anime series, but stand on its own as an original work. Supposedly, the film will be a sci-fi romance, though exactly what that means remains to be seen. Speaking about the film, Itou said:

"At the moment we can only inform you of the title. For fans who are supporting the main staff, but also for people around the world, I will do my best until completion so that it will be an entertaining work!"

Not much has been revealed about the film itself, though some of the figures attached to the project provide some clues. Notably, Mado Nozaki, who is known for his sci-fi stories like Kado: The Right Answer and know, wrote the screenplay for the movie. Nozaki has been a hot creative in the anime industry with several of his series being optioned for adaptations in the last few years. To top it off, the characters are being designed by Yukiko Horiguchi, an artist known for her work on series like K-ON and Lucky Star. Given the material Itou has previously created, Horiguchi might be able to add an adorable twist on some darker subject matter.

Sword Art Online has emerged as a popular, but divisive series with a growing base of fans and detractors. Some of its moments are among the best in modern anime, while its slip-ups have understandably alienated quite a few viewers. When it comes to Tomohiko Itou, however, it’s hard to deny his talent. Erased and Silver Spoon are both incredible rides for vastly different reasons and his guidance really did help make those some of the finest anime series of the last several years. The prospect of him being creatively unshackled to a film that isn’t related to Sword Art Online should be exciting - not just to anime fans, but to people interested in solid film storytelling as well.

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Hello World is on track to release sometime in Fall 2019.

Source: Anime! Anime!