The production of a new Lupin III anime series was announced at the ongoing MIPCOM event in Cannes, France on Tuesday. It will be the first full-fledged Lupin III television anime series to star the legendary thief character since 1984-85's Lupin III Part III ended three decades ago. (Sayo Yamamoto and TMS Entertainment made the Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine television anime spinoff in 2012.)

The story of the new series will take place in Italy and San Marino. The series is set to have its world premiere on Italy's RTI channel next spring. MIPCOM is the world's largest international trade event for video content, particularly for television programs.

Monkey Punch, the creator of the original 1967 Lupin III manga, commented that he is excited for the start of a new animation series, and that he is looking forward to Lupin's exploits.

Franchise veteran Kazuhide Tomonaga (key animator on Lupin the 3rd: The Mystery of Mamo and Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, particularly the whole iconic car chase) is serving as chief director, and Yuichiro Yano (Moyashimon, Francesca, Mujin Wakusei Survive, Patapata Hikōsen no Bōken) is directing at Telecom Animation Film. Writer Yuuya Takahashi (Donten ni Warau, Tiger & Bunny, Lupin the IIIrd: Jigen Daisuke no Bohyō) is in charge of the series scripts.

Tomonaga noted that the Lupin III anime that his generation watched four decades ago was completely different from the previous anime aimed at children. He added that it had a very huge impact on the diehard adult fanbase. For the generation that already experienced that amazement as well as the generation unaware of those days, Tomonaga wants to make an exciting animation that is realistic yet sprinkled with fantastic elements. Furthermore, he wants to depict a Lupin in which conflicting elements coexist — hard-boiled yet comical, cool yet tongue-in-cheek.

Source: Oricon

Image Creator Monkey Punch © TMS

[Caption: The setting is Italy & San Marino: A new Lupin journey begins]