1st TV anime based on Shoji Gatoh's light novels debuted in 2002

Shikidouji, the illustrator of Shoji Gatoh's Full Metal Panic! light novel series, revealed on Wednesday that production has been green-lit on a "director's cut" version of the first Full Metal Panic! television anime series from 2002. The director's cut will consist of three films. The announcement does not state if the film trilogy will add new footage.

「フルメタル・パニック!」アニメ第一シリーズ、ディレクターズカット版が、劇場3部作制作決定しました。 pic.twitter.com/LkvAQ9hTk4

— 四季童子(フルメタアニメ化作戦進行中) (@shikidoji) September 20, 2017

Full Metal Panic! centers around a mercenary group called Mithril on a parallel Earth in which the Cold War did not end in 1991.

The original Full Metal Panic! light novel series debuted in 1998, and Fujimi Shobo published the series' 12th and final novel in the main series in 2010. The novels have more than 11 million copies in print. Tokyopop published the first five volumes before the company shut down its North American branch in 2011.

Aside from the 2002 series, the novels also inspired the 12-episode Full Metal Panic? Fumoffu TV anime in 2003, and the 13-episode Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid TV anime series in 2005. Additionally, the light novels inspired the Full Metal Panic! The Second Raid video anime episode in 2006. Gonzo animated the 2002 anime series, and Kyoto Animation animated the two sequel series and the video anime. A new television anime series titled Full Metal Panic! Invisible Victory by XEBEC has been green-lit. It was originally slated to premiere this fall, but will now premiere in spring 2018.