Eiichiro Oda has officially confirmed that a new One Piece movie is in development, sending the fandom into another wave of excitement as the series pushes deeper into its final saga. The announcement came during Oda’s annual message at Jump Festa 2026 (held December 21, 2025 in Japan), where he revealed that a brand-new theatrical project is now underway.
While details are still tightly under wraps, this will be the first new One Piece movie since One Piece Film: Red in 2022, which became the franchise’s highest-grossing film to date and proved that One Piece is a box office powerhouse worldwide.
Oda’s Jump Festa Message: “I Can’t Say It’s Going Particularly Well”
In classic Oda fashion, the reveal wasn’t just a straightforward announcement—it came with a bit of self-aware humor. In his message to fans, Oda confirmed the existence of a new anime film but joked that he “can’t say it’s going particularly well” behind the scenes, suggesting the project is still in an early and somewhat bumpy stage of development.
He also hinted that simply admitting this might “light a fire” under the staff, turning his comment into both a joke and a playful nudge at the production team. It’s a very Oda way to reassure fans: yes, things are complicated, but the movie is happening.
For now, there is:
- No official title
- No release window
- No confirmed story or setting
What fans do know is that the project is aimed as a full theatrical release, continuing One Piece’s trend of big, global movie events.
One Piece’s 2026 Roadmap Is Stacked
The new movie isn’t arriving in a vacuum—it’s part of a huge wave of One Piece content rolling into 2026:
- The anime is shifting to a seasonal format and will kick off the long-awaited Elbaf Arc in April 2026.
- Netflix’s live-action One Piece has its second season on the way and a third already confirmed, keeping the series in the global spotlight beyond anime and manga.
- A WIT Studio remake and other spin-off projects are helping reintroduce the story to new generations, signaling that Shueisha and Toei are treating One Piece as a multi-format giant, not just a long-running anime.
Within that roadmap, a new movie adds another major pillar—something big enough to stand alongside Film: Red and extend One Piece’s theatrical legacy into the final saga.
The God Valley Arc Has Taken Over the Fandom
All of this is happening while the God Valley arc continues to dominate conversation in the fandom.
The God Valley Incident has become one of the most captivating storylines in One Piece history, and many fans aren’t ready for it to end. Eiichiro Oda’s exploration of this long-mysterious event has brought together legendary figures like Rocks D. Xebec, Gol D. Roger, Monkey D. Garp, and even the enigmatic Imu, turning what could have been a short flashback into a full-blown historical epic.
Through God Valley, Oda has peeled back layers of the Celestial Dragons’ cruelty, early pirate history, and the political power struggles that shaped the world fans know today. For many readers, it feels like they’re finally seeing pieces of the “true history” that has been teased since the earliest chapters of the manga.
It’s no surprise that in comment sections, forums, and social media threads, fans are already asking one big question:
Could the new movie tie into God Valley—or at least this era of the story?
Nothing official confirms that connection, but the timing has many fans speculating. Some discussion threads are already dreaming about a full God Valley theatrical adaptation or a movie that runs parallel to events from that era.
Fans Don’t Want to Leave the Flashback Yet
What makes this moment feel so unique is that, for once, a huge portion of the fandom doesn’t want to go back to the Straw Hats right away.
Social media is filled with posts saying that the God Valley arc feels like the most thrilling part of One Piece in years—thanks to its darker tone, high stakes, and constant lore drops. While Luffy and his crew are the emotional core of the series, this flashback offers something else:
- A rare look at the previous generation’s monsters at their peak
- The origin points of long-standing mysteries and rivalries
- A sense that the world’s “legendary past” is finally being shown, not just hinted at
One fan summed it up perfectly on X (formerly Twitter):
“If we return to the Straw Hats now, it’ll feel like waking up from a dream.”
That line captures how surreal and immersive the God Valley storyline has become. For many readers, it doesn’t feel like a side-story at all—it feels like a second main plot running in parallel with Luffy’s journey.
A Testament to Oda’s Storytelling and Long-Term Vision
The hype around both the new movie and the God Valley arc ultimately points back to one thing: Eiichiro Oda’s absurdly consistent storytelling power.
More than 25 years into One Piece, Oda is still:
- Introducing new legends that stand alongside icons like Roger and Whitebeard
- Recontextualizing old events in ways that make earlier arcs feel even richer
- Balancing present-day stakes with past-era revelations, without losing emotional weight
For some fans, there’s a small fear: that once the flashback ends and the story returns fully to the Straw Hats, the intensity might drop. Others argue that this dance between past and present is exactly what keeps One Piece feeling alive—that each return to Luffy’s crew hits harder because of what we now know about the world’s history.
Either way, the God Valley saga has already secured its place as one of the defining chapters of the series.
What the New Movie Could Mean for the Future of One Piece
Until Toei and Oda reveal more, the new film is a big, mysterious question mark. We don’t know if it will:
- Be a canon-adjacent story like Film: Red, lightly tied into the main plot
- Focus on new original characters with cameos from major players
- Dive into a specific era like God Valley, Elbaf, or even Laugh Tale-adjacent mysteries
What we do know is that the announcement itself confirms one thing: even as the manga barrels toward its endgame, One Piece is not slowing down as a global franchise. With a new anime format, a live-action expansion, a remake, and now a fresh movie in development, 2026 is shaping up to be one of the most important years in One Piece history.
For now, fans will keep doing what they do best—theorizing, re-reading, and waiting for the next big reveal—both in the pages of God Valley and on the big screen, whenever Oda and Toei are finally ready to show what they’ve been cooking.
