Sunrise has opened a brand new company called Sunrise Beyond. It will focus on producing primarily animated screen content, Ip production and utilization, and managing rights. Its date of establishment is 1st March 2019, and their headquarters is in the current location of animation studio, Xebec. And hey, they even launched their own official website already.

According to the Animation Business Journal, Sunrise Beyond’s representative director is Sunrise producer Masakazu Ogawa. Interim board members include Sunrise representative director Makoto Asanuma, Xebec president Nobuyoshi Habara, and Sunrise board member Naoya Masaki.

Back in November, IG Port, the parent company of Production I.G., announced that they’re transfering the operations of Xebec to Sunrise. This is the implementation of that transfer, and they will formalise it on 1st April. Several titles from Xebec will be transfering, except for a few ones including Soukyuu no Fafner THE BEYOND, which will remain with I.G. Port. The company’s final film under IG Port was the final Space Battleship Yamato 2202 film.

Established in 1995, the studio has been responsible for plenty of anime. These include not just the Fafner and Space Battleship Yamato 2199/2202 series, but also Martian Successor Nadesico, Hana Kappa, and Future Card Buddyfight.

Source: Animation Business Journal