Director Yoko Taro, known for his work on the Nier series, has offered a potential glimpse into his upcoming directorial project for Neon Genesis Evangelion. During a concert in Saitama, Canadian musician The Weeknd debuted a new song heavily inspired by the iconic anime, accompanied by visuals curated by Taro himself.
The unnamed track incorporates samples from Evangelion's theme song, "A Cruel Angel's Thesis," and features singer Yoko Takahashi. The accompanying visuals, directed by Taro, included existing footage from the anime along with what appears to be original material. This presentation has led to speculation that the visuals may offer an early look at Taro's upcoming Evangelion series.
One notable visual showed Eva Unit-01 confronting Nier: Automata characters 2B and 9S. While the possibility of a crossover between Taro's distinct projects remains uncertain, his unconventional approach suggests anything is possible.
This collaboration adds to The Weeknd's recent engagements with prominent figures in the gaming industry. He has previously interacted with Hidetaka Miyazaki of FromSoftware, Goichi Suda of Grasshopper Manufacture, received a private demonstration of Persona 6, and had fan art created by Final Fantasy artist Yoshitaka Amano. It remains to be seen whether these interactions signify a new project or simply reflect his passion for gaming culture.