Witch Hat Atelier producer reveals the fantasy anime has been in the works for 6 years with the goal to make "something profound like Lord of the Rings"

The producers of upcoming anime adaptation Witch Hat Atelier have high hopes for the project.

"We want to create something akin to a Hollywood blockbuster. Something profound like the Lord of the Rings," one producer said during an interview with Kodansha.

"The project to create an anime adaptation of this manga has been in progress since 2019," he said. "That may seem like a long time, but if you read the manga, you'll get the picture. Figuring out how to transform the manga's extremely intricate illustrations into an anime is taking time."

It's not just that the series has been six years in the making, either – it was recently announced that the show's release date had been pushed back from 2025 to 2026 "in order to deliver the series with the highest possible quality."

"In scenes where magic is cast, even if it’s expressed in the manga as a single panel showing the character suddenly enveloped in light, in the anime, it’s necessary to add things like color and movement," his co-producer added.

"Each time, we consult with the author about the fine details of the magic, figuring out how it’s activated, what phenomena is produced, and how we can make the visual stand out on the screen."

Witch Hat Atelier follows a young aspiring witch, who has one big problem: she was born without powers. However, an encounter with a travelling magician looks like it could make her dreams a step closer to reality. The manga of the same name has been running since 2016.

Witch Hat Atelier will be released in 2026. While we wait for a more specific release date, check out our guide to the other most exciting new anime on the way in 2025.