The most recent television reincarnation of Shigeru Mizuki’s Gegege no Kitaro
supernatural action manga will spawn its first theatrical anime movie this December. Tsuyoshi Koga (Xenosaga: The Animation, Happy Lucky Bikkurima
is directing Toei Animation on the planned 80-minute Gegege no Kitaro: Nihon Bakuretsu!! (Gegege no Kitaro: Japan Explodes!!) film. The television version’s  Riku Sanjo (Dragon Quest: Dai no Daiboken, Beet the Vandel Buster is writing the script. Although the film will open in December, it is intended for the 2009 New Year’s holiday break. (Next year happens to be the 40th anniversary of the Ge Ge Ge no Kitaro manga.)

The story of the inhuman boy Kitar? is airing in two different anime series: the fifth Gegege no Kitaro series and the more mature Hakaba Kitaro There have already been seven Gegege no Kitaro animated movies and one live-action movie before this year. The second live-action film, Gegege no Kitaro: Sennen Noroi Uta (Gegege no Kitaro: The Thousand-Year-Curse Song), will  open in Japan on July 12.