Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion I - Initiation

Initiation marks the beginning of a three-part film project released in 2017 to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the original Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion television series. Produced by Sunrise, the film condenses and reimagines the events of the first season of the anime, serving as a recap while also introducing new scenes and revised dialogue to align with an updated continuity. The production was intended to bridge the gap for long-time fans while creating an accessible entry point for new audiences, setting the stage for the subsequent films and the later expansion of the franchise.

The project was overseen by director Goro Taniguchi and writer Ichiro Okouchi, the core creative team behind the original series, who sought to refine the narrative pacing and character motivations for a cinematic format. The animation team worked to refresh the visual fidelity of the iconic mecha battles and political drama, maintaining the distinctive character designs originally created by the group CLAMP. Upon release, the film was received as a nostalgic and technically polished distillation of the source material, successfully re-establishing the dark, tactical world of Lelouch vi Britannia for a modern theatrical audience.