There may be a lot of uncertainty surrounding the future of the franchise right now, but Dragon Ball fans could get the best news of the year. A fan on X posted a clip of a recent interview with former Weekly Shonen Jump editor-in-chief Kazuhiko Torishima, in which he seemingly leaks news of a new Dragon Ball the film is being worked on.
Fans should take this with a grain of salt as these are only comments from the former editor. But Torishima sounds like a new project is in the works, which could be the start of a triumphant return for the iconic series.
A new Dragon Ball movie could be coming next year
According to Torishima, fans won't have to wait too long for this news Dragon Ball the project is released. A longtime editor says the film will be released next year, but that doesn't sound very optimistic.
With the mess we're in right now, we can't expect much from next year's movie, can we?
Torishima was a vocal critic of modernity Dragon Ballwho recently complained about the newly opened Dragon Ball Store at Tokyo Station. He also had some pretty harsh words about the newest entry in the franchise, Daimaearlier this year. So his unfavorable outlook on the series and its future is nothing new or surprising.
This raises the question of how he will learn about the new one Dragon Ball movie first. Torishima is no longer involved with the franchise, so he likely wasn't consulted or had anything to do with the planning of this potential new entry. But with how involved he was in the series back in the day, it's likely that Torishima is still hearing things. So while he may not be a direct source of information, he is still more informed than most.
In May, Toei reportedly delayed a film that belonged to one of its “international IPs.” It could be a lot of series, but with this new rumor, it could be the next major one Dragon Ball project? However, this would contradict Torishima's comments, as he appears to state that the film will be released in 2026, and the reported delay has pushed the mystery film back to 2027. This could mean that production may be ahead of schedule, or it could be that Torishima's information is inaccurate.
Who is Kazuhiko Torishima?
Torishima is a legendary but polarizing figure in Dragon Ball commonwealth. He first worked with Akira Toriyama as his editor at Dr. Slum in the years 1980-1984 and continued to act as its editor Dragon Ball by 1995. Torishima's feedback during his run as Dragon Ball's the editor helped Toriyama create some of the series' most iconic characters and moments, with Torishima said to be the strictest of Toriyama's editors throughout Dragon Ball's run.
As you'd guess from reading his comments above, Torishima doesn't hold back when it comes to sharing his opinion. This trait is what has made him such a successful editor, but it's also led to some comments over the years that have sparked debate among fans. He was never shy about criticizing modern trends Dragon Ball stepped in, and his strong opinions aren't limited to the series he's most associated with. Torishima clearly didn't believe it One piece when it started with the idea that it wouldn't be a successful manga. That's a crazy idea now that we know how popular it is.
Torishima's recent comments come off more as a statement of fact than anything else. It sounds like he's criticizing the direction the franchise is going, which is in line with his usual routine, but the fact that he mentions the upcoming movie is notable. It could very well just be Toshima mentioning something he had intimately shared with him during the conversation. Or he could have been confused about what DB projects were or were not confirmed. We won't know for sure for a while.
The future of Dragon Ball is still uncertain
Whether what Torishima said ends up being true or not, there's no denying that fans of the series would love to get a new movie announcement soon. Dragon Ball has been in a bit of a slump for some time now. the last movie Dragon Ball Super: Super Herowas released in 2022. Dragon Ball DAIMA ended the broadcast in February, but was secondary. The Cool the anime has been on hiatus since 2018, and although the manga has gone way beyond the anime, we haven't had a new chapter since February's chapter 104, which was a one-shot prequel to the High School Saga that ended in 2023. The unexpected twist ending the Granolah the Survivor saga was all the way back, and fans have been waiting for a sequel since 2022.
The series has struggled following the death of its iconic creator Akira Toriyama. Toriyama died on March 1, 2024, and so far we've seen some new ones Dragon Ball Content released since then, legal battles between Shueisha and Tokyo Capsule Corporation head Akio Iyoku, and uncertainty surrounding the series' future direction seem to have stalled things for now.
This new movie that Torishima is referring to may not exist, or it may be a thing that is starting Dragon Ball's return. Since the manga has gone beyond the Tournament of Power, there's a lot of material to work with. While most fans were expecting a comeback Cool anime series to adapt the events of the Galactic Patrol Prisoner Saga, could a film adaptation be in the works instead? And if so, it would lead to Cool anime begins with the popular Granolah the Survivor saga? Maybe it's a story like a movie Broly was, with a manga adaptation coming later and serving as a comeback for the anime and manga.
We could speculate about the potential Dragon Ball projects endlessly, but at the end of the day we don't really know what's going on. Torishima may, may not. So far, it sounds like he's confident a new movie will be coming next year. With Jump Festa right around the corner, we could get an announcement before the end of 2025.
Source: X
Dragon Ball
- Release date
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1986 – 1989
- Network
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Fuji TV
- directors
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Osamu Kasai, Daisuke Nishio, Kazuhisa Takenouchi, Minoru Okazaki, Mitsuo Hashimoto, Yoshihiro Ueda, Yutaka Satoh, Yûji Endô
- Writers
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Akira Toriyama, Keiji Terui, Toshiki Inoue, Takao Koyama, Michiru Shimada, Yasushi Hirano, Katsuyuki Sumisawa, Yuichiro Oguro, Miho Maruo, Shunichi Yukimuro
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Masako Nozawa
Son Goku (voice)
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Mayumi Tanaka
Krillin (voice)
