Puella Magi Madoka Magica is finally heading back to cinemas with a proper new movie, and SHAFT is giving the comeback some serious big-screen treatment.
Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie: Walpurgisnacht: Rising is set to open in Japanese theatres on August 28, 2026, and the film has now confirmed an IMAX release for its Japan launch. That is a pretty big signal for a franchise that has been quiet on the feature-film front for more than a decade.
The last major Madoka Magica movie was Puella Magi Madoka Magica The Movie Part 3: Rebellion in 2013. Walpurgisnacht: Rising continues after the events of that film, making this a direct follow-up rather than a soft reboot or random side story.
For longtime fans, that matters. Madoka Magica was never just another magical girl anime. The original TV series became famous because it took the genre’s cute surface and dragged it into something darker, heavier, and much more psychologically intense. The result was one of those anime that kept living rent-free in fandom discussions long after its initial run.
This new film has also had a bumpy road. According to the source, Walpurgisnacht: Rising has been delayed several times during production, which makes the 2026 cinema rollout feel even more like a “finally, bro” moment for fans who have been waiting since Rebellion.
What we know about the movie
Walpurgisnacht: Rising brings back major creative names from the original Madoka Magica team. Magica Quartet is involved with the story, Yukihiro Miyamoto is directing at SHAFT, Gen Urobuchi is writing the script, Ume Aoki is handling character designs, and Yuki Kajiura is composing the music.
That returning lineup is important because Madoka Magica’s identity comes from the combination of all those pieces: Urobuchi’s bleak storytelling, Aoki’s deceptively soft character art, SHAFT’s surreal visual direction, and Kajiura’s dramatic music. If you are coming back after 13 years, this is the kind of core team fans want to see.
The confirmed returning Japanese voice cast includes Aoi Yuki as Madoka Kaname, Chiwa Saito as Homura Akemi, Kaori Mizuhashi as Mami Tomoe, Eri Kitamura as Sayaka Miki, Ai Nonaka as Kyoko Sakura, Kana Asumi as Nagisa Momoe, and Emiri Kato as Kyubey.
No new characters have been announced yet, based on the current information.
Is there an international release?
Not yet. The source states that international release plans have not been confirmed at the time of writing. That also means there is no confirmed word on whether the IMAX version will screen outside Japan.
So for Malaysia and SEA fans, don’t jump to conclusions yet. There is no confirmed local cinema release, no regional date, and no platform announcement in the source material.
Why SEA fans should care
Analysis / inference: Even without confirmed international details, the Japan IMAX upgrade is worth watching because it suggests the movie is being positioned as a major theatrical anime release, not a small nostalgia project. For Malaysian anime fans, that usually means one thing: keep an eye on cinema and distributor announcements, because big anime films are increasingly treated as event releases when they do travel internationally.
But the bigger question is whether Walpurgisnacht: Rising can welcome new viewers. Since it follows Rebellion, this is deep-lore territory. If you have never watched Madoka Magica before, this probably is not the best entry point unless the movie somehow builds in enough context. For existing fans though, this is the continuation they have been waiting for since 2013.
Thirteen years is a long gap. But if Madoka Magica can return with the same unsettling energy, strong creative team, and a proper cinema-scale presentation, this could be one of 2026’s biggest anime movie moments.