Ufotable revealed Witch on the Holy Night anime film trailer: Everything you need to know

The big picture adaptation of Witch on the Holy Night is finally coming. On February 21st, the animation company ufotable released a new video revealing that the theatrical anime adaptation will debut in 2026, following years of anticipation. The update has been keenly anticipated by supporters since the adaptation was first announced in December 2021.

The snippet appeared in a longer promotional video that ufotable unveiled on Saturday. Along with sneak peeks at other forthcoming projects like Demon Slayer and Genshin Impact, it featured the recently released Witch on the Holy Night trailer. The true high point for fans of Type-Moon, however, was seeing the animated adaptation of this well-loved visual novel.

Breakdown of Witch on the Holy Night

For those who are unfamiliar with the material, Type-Moon produced the visual novel Witch on the Holy Night. In April 2012, it was first released on PC in Japan. Kinoko Nasu, the author of well-known movies including The Garden of Sinners and the Fate trilogy, wrote the story.

The game centers on Aoko Aozaki, a high school student who is just beginning to learn magic, and is set in the late 1980s. She starts studying with Alice Kuonji after relocating to an old mansion that is said to have been inhabited by a witch. After acclimating to life in the city, a young man from a town named Sojuro Shizuki somehow finds himself living with them. When Touko, Aoko's older sister, arrives with her own views, things become more problematic.

What makes Witch on the Holy Night special is its place in the Type-Moon timeline. It's actually the earliest story in the so-called "Nasuverse," that shared universe of Type-Moon works. Aoko appears as a mentor in Tsukihime, while Touko is a major character in The Garden of Sinners. So this story connects a lot of dots for longtime fans.

While the original PC version of Witch on the Holy Night was still excellent, the improved remaster made it much more accessible. In December 2022, Aniplex published fully voiced versions with enhanced HD graphics for the Nintendo Switch and PlayStation 4. Unusually, it was even released globally on the same day. December 2023 saw the release of the Steam version.

Over 150,000 copies of the remaster have been sold worldwide. Not bad for a visual novel with few player options that is primarily a kinetic experience. While some reviews highlighted localization problems like occasional typos, others commended the tale and characters. Nonetheless, most people agree that Witch on the Holy Night is a compelling story that is worth seeing.

What We Know About the Movie

Not much information is available currently. The 2026 release date was verified by ufotable, although the precise day in the year of release was not specified. We shouldn't have to wait long for updates because they did state that further details will be released this spring.

It's likely that the voice actors from the improved game version will appear in the movie. Among them are Yusuke Kobayashi (Subaru Natsuki from Isekai Quartet) as Sojuro Shizuki, Haruka Tomatsu (Sakata Gintoki from Gintama) as Aoko Aozaki, and Kana Hanazawa (Tachibana Kanade from Angel Beats!) as Alice Kuonji. ufotable has extensive experience with Type-Moon adaptations, having worked on the Garden of Sinners movies and the Fate series. Expectations are therefore high.

Witch on the Holy Night's extremely streamlined plot is one feature that works to the movie's advantage. This one has a straight path, in contrast to large visual novels with multiple paths. As a result, it should be simpler to condense into a single film without sacrificing too much.

In conclusion

This announcement has, of course, created a lot of excitement. ufotable is renowned for its beautiful animation and accurate adaptations. For more than ten years, Witch on the Holy Night has been awaiting its anime debut. Getting confirmation that it's actually happening in 2026 is huge.

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Additionally, it offers younger fans a new interpretation of the story. A long visual novel could be too long for some people to go through, but a movie in theaters? It's much easier to accomplish that. It might bring this area of the Nasuverse to a completely new audience.

After a lengthy wait, Witch on the Holy Night is prepared to enthrall audiences on the big screen.

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