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TOKYO -- Toon maker Gainax will produce four theatrical features in its iconic "Evangelion" series. The pics, the first in nearly a decade, are based on the 26-part TV series that launched the worldwide "Evangelion" boom in the 1990s.

The first, helmed by Gainax vet Shinji Higuchi, will be released in July, the second in January and the third and fourth on a double bill in June 2008. They'll be distributed by Klockworx.

The first three pics will borrow some images from the TV show, but with new backgrounds and soundtracks. The stories of the third and final will be brand-new, in response to the many fans who were dissatisfied with the ending of the two "Evangelion" pics directed by Hideaki Anno and released in 1997.

All four will incorporate far more 3-D animation technology than the original features and series.

The "Evangelion" skein, about teenagers who pilot huge robot warriors against invading aliens while struggling with the issues of adolescence, began as a cult hit on Japanese TV. It has since become a global franchise whose various components, including merchandising and games, have generated an estimated ¥100 billion ($863 million).