Redline's Koike to Direct Lupin the IIIrd: Daisuke Jigen's Gravestone Film

Redline director Takeshi Koike will direct a new Lupin III spinoff anime film that is slated to open early this summer. The Lupin the IIIrd Jigen Daisuke no Bohyō (Lupin the IIIrd: Daisuke Jigen's Gravestone) film will be a "continuation spinoff" of the 2012 Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine television anime series. Koike served as the animation director and character designer for that series.

Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine centered on the character Fujiko Mine, and depicted her and the rest of the Lupin III cast during their younger days. Koike said of the new film, "I wanted to try to depict how Lupin and Jigen became partners."

Yu Kiyozono (Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, Lupin the 3rd: Green vs Red) is producing the film. Kiyozono said of the project, "Since The Woman Called Fujiko Mine, I have been thinking that I want to continue to create even more spinoffs with a new, cool Lupin III."

The film will have a limited special screening at Tokyo's Shinjuku Wald 9 theater in early summer.

Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine was the first new Lupin III television anime series in 27 years. Sayo Yamamoto (Michiko to Hatchin) directed the 13-episode series. In October 2011, the voice cast for the Lupin III anime franchise changed for the first time in 16 years. The voice cast for The Woman Called Fujiko Mine reflected that change.

Funimation streamed Lupin III: The Woman Called Fujiko Mine as it aired, and the company then released the series on home video last year.