The New Lupin III Movie Has Been a Long Time Coming

Key Takeaways

• Lupin the IIIrd the Movie is a new vision of the classic anime series directed by Takeshi Koike.
• This feature film continues Koike’s work from previous short films, which individually explored the franchise’s leads.
• Fans are anticipating the 2025 release due to Koike’s distinct art style and mature take on the Lupin III world.

The mark of a truly timeless series seems to be its ability to experiment with new mediums and new audiences, while never losing the indescribable qualities that keep it true to itself. Lupin III is one such storied franchise and its new film from director Takeshi Koike, simply titled Lupin the IIIrd the Movie, is a particularly striking vision of the anime classic that fans have long waited for.

In 2012, Koike served as the character designer on Lupin the Third: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, a critically acclaimed, mature spin on the series, centered on the iconic titular femme fatale. Two years later, Koike sought to expand on this continuity – whose aesthetic he helped author – through a series of new films, each of which examined a member of the franchise’s four leads.

Everything We Know About the Movie

Jigen’s Gravestone (2014), Goemon’s Blood Spray (2017), and Fujiko Mine’s Lie (2019) were short hour-long films directed by Koike throughout the 2010s. They were standalone stories, albeit with hints of an interconnected plot that foreshadowed a grand finale – one that the new film will hopefully bring to fruition. On November 28, a trailer for the new film was released, showing a mix of footage from the previous films as well as a tease of this new story, all with a tantalizing tagline.

You haven’t seen the real Lupin III yet…

Koike is directing the film at Telecom Animation Film, joined by composer James Shimoji, who did the music for all of Koike’s previous Lupin works, as well as Koike’s 2009 cult hit Redline. Likewise, writer Yuuya Takahashi has returned to pen the script. His other writing credits include Lupin III Part 4, Tiger & Bunny, and Studio Shaft’s upcoming film Virgin Punk.

Why This Project Is a Big Deal

Because Lupin is such a big franchise with new OVAs and TV series around the corner consistently, it might come as a surprise how important this new film is. It turns out that it’s been almost 30 years since a feature-length, 2D-animated Lupin III film was put in theaters. Everything else was either crossover films, non-feature-length releases like the previous Koike films, or -specifically in the case of Lupin III THE FIRST – gorgeously animated using CGI.

As surprising as the revelation may be, it only makes Lupin the IIIrd the Movie more exciting, especially with a director like Koike at the helm. His work on The Animatrix, the pilot for Afro Samurai, and Samurai Champloo would be impressive on their own, but the seven years of labor that produced 2009’s Redline elevated him to a legendary status. To have a director with such a distinct and unflinching art style on a franchise as storied as Lupin is a gift that keeps on giving.

Why This Film Should Have You Excited

From TV to film to OVAs and beyond, there is no definitive vision of Lupin III, nor is every new installment wildly different in spirit or tone. Even its most experimental spins on the aesthetic or storytelling – of which Koike and Sayo Yamamoto stand out considerably – are rare in the grand scheme of things. But it seems as though every fan is exposed to the franchise in different ways, ultimately coming to love the same core aspects, be it the characters or just the vibe of Lupin.

Speaking personally, Koike’s Lupin was what made me want to learn more about the franchise, largely because up until that point, I never knew Lupin stories could be quite like this. As I would soon gather from exploring past entries, they typically aren’t, but that only made these films more special. Takeshi Koike’s Lupin III was a colorful dive into a sexy and dangerous world, wherein the eroticism and danger were similarly heightened to new extremes thanks to its striking artwork.

Remembering When Lupin Went Adult

There’s something to be said about a film that can ensnare the audience’s attention in a single frame, such as the one above. It comes from Goemon’s Blood Spray, which is probably the most popular of Koike’s three Lupin films precisely because of how its aesthetic lives rent-free in viewers’ heads. This single image of Fujiko smoking a bong while surrounded by stacks of cash is not only iconic but probably the reason a lot of people seek out the film.

Another big draw is the action, which rarely holds anything back, from severed limbs to gaping gunshot wounds and the bright red bursts of blood resulting from both. Yet, while those elements may seem at odds with the traditions of this franchise at first, it’s a testament to Koike’s directing that the violence doesn’t linger longer than it needs to. The darker elements of the storytelling have a strong impact, but they are handled maturely.

This is Lupin III, after all, and Lupin is nothing if not a classy tale at the end of the day. For all these reasons and more, the hype for Lupin the IIIrd the Movie couldn’t be more warranted, and hopefully, when it hits the big screen in 2025, an international release won’t be far behind. If Toho International was willing to distribute My Hero Academia: You’re Next overseas, perhaps they’re prepared to do the same for everyone’s favorite gentleman thief.

Lupin the IIIrd Jigen’s Gravestone, Goemon’s Blood Spray, and Fujiko Mine’s Lie are available to purchase on Blu-ray through the Crunchyroll Store.