Due to the coronavirus’s spread in Japan, the Evangelion franchise announced on Saturday through its official Twitter that the midnight screenings of Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time, the new Evangelion film, have been canceled.
The midnight screening of the final Evangelion film has been canceled!
On Saturday, Japan reported 7,101 new cases of COVID-19. 2,268 new cases of COVID-19 spiked in Tokyo alone on the same day, the third day, with over 2,000 new cases. Simultaneously, Japan recorded 827 seriously ill persons with COVID-19.
A halt for a more significant cause
Fans were saddened by the cancelation news of the new Evangelion film’s final midnight screening, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time.
As cited in the announcement, the decision was made due to the spread of the new coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
And also, the resulting declaration of a stage of emergency in at least four prefectures.
Furthermore, the announcement shared sympathy for those infected with COVID-19. Simultaneously, it expressed gratitude and respect to medical workers and others on the frontline of the pandemic.
On January 23, 15 theaters had planned to hold midnight screenings for the earliest opening day showings. These theaters are in Tokyo, Osaka, Nagoya, Fukuoka, and Sapporo.
Additionally, those with IMAX screens theaters were planning to show the previous film, Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo.
The airing will be before the midnight screening of Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time.
From January 9 to January 22, those theaters have already screened the updated IMAX version titled Evangelion: 3.333 You Can (Not) Redo.
When is the opening of the movie?
Notedly, few films have had midnight screenings for most of the past year due to COVID-19.
Although Demon Slayer: Mugen Train and Eiga Precure Miracle Leap: Minna to Fushigi na 1-nichi are among the films that began adding late-night screenings midnight or later.
The final Evangelion film's midnight screenings on opening day have been canceled due to COVID-19 https://t.co/3VuN9Wf1PX
— Anime News Network (@Anime) January 9, 2021
On January 23, Evangelion: 3.0+1.0: Thrice Upon A Time will finally open after a delay due to many concerns over the new coronavirus disease.
The original schedule of the film opening in Japan was on June 27, 2020. And to perform the theme song One Last Kiss for the film, Hikaru Utada returns.
Evangelion: 1.0 You Are [Not] Alone, Evangelion: 2.0 You Can [Not] Advance, and Evangelion: 3.0 You Can (Not) Redo were the first three films in the tetralogy debuted in 2007, 2009, and 2012 respectively.
Image courtesy of DaikuMedia Anime/YouTube Screenshot