Fresh from the announcement of his return to directing live-action films with the upcoming Shin Ultraman, it was today announced that Evangelion Creator/Director/Guy who got out of Gainax before it imploded like a dying star, Hideaki Anno, will also be heading a new project in the Pretty Cure franchise.

Pretty Cure is largely known for being a decade running child-friendly franchise whose fandom consists mostly of pre-teen girls and thirty-something men who use the word waifu unironically. Anno stated that upcoming film, presently titled Shin PreCure, will blend the magical girl action the series is known for with his usual brand of dreary psychological horror that fans have come to expect from works like Evangelion and His and Her Circumstances.

“I’ve always been interested in conveying on film the feelings of growing up in a role that has been forced on you and fighting for your life against odds that seem impossible no matter how you look at it. I’ve done this with Evangelion, and I hope to bring these same tropes to Pretty Cure franchise as well,” noted the director in a statement released jointly by Studio Kara and Toei.

Just what kind of film Shin PreCure will be is currently unknown. The following summery from Toei itself promises a story far removed from those of previous franchise projects: “In the city of Tokyo, Japan, a middle school student and her friend encounter a small, rabbit-like creature. It offers a vow in which a girl may have any desire granted in exchange for obtaining becoming magical girls and being tasked with fighting demons.”

Shin PreCure is currently slated for release in 2022.