When it comes to the world of live-action anime adaptations, it seems like more franchises are finding their way into this style of storytelling. In the past, there have been more than a few disastrous examples of live-action anime adaptations that failed to take off with fans. Dragon Ball Evolution, Ghost in the Shell, Devilman, and Uzumaki are just a few examples of live-action films that anime fans didn’t fit the bill in living up to their source material. Luckily, the tables seem to have turned as output like One Piece and Alita: Battle Angel have proven that live-action anime adaptations can live up to their original tales, and there is far more to look forward to.
To start, this list is meant to refer to live-action anime adaptations that have yet to be seen. This means that you shouldn’t expect Netflix’s One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender to appear on the list, though rest assured, we’re beyond excited to see these properties return this year. With this being said, let’s get this list started.
7.) Mobile Suit Gundam
Courtesy of Bandai Namco Filmworks America / Sunrise / Legendary Pictures
It’s impossible to deny that Mobile Suit Gundam is the biggest mech anime franchise of them all, with its decades-long universe taking over the world of anime via television shows, movies, merchandise, and more. Thanks to the popularity of all things Gundam, Legendary Pictures announced that they were teaming up with Bandai Namco Filmworks to create a live-action film that would bring the mechs to the West. While a release date has yet to be revealed for this project and no footage has been shared, the live-action adaptation is further along than many of the other entries on our list for two major reasons. Big actors Sydney Sweeney and Noah Centineo are planned to be a part of the movie, though their roles remain a mystery. Regardless of which storyline the live-action film ultimately decides to pull from, there is plenty of material for the movie to sink its teeth into.
6.) The Junji Ito Trilogy (Bloodsucking Darkness, The Mystery of The Haunted House Parts 1 & 2)
Studio deen
In 2024, Fangoria Studios and Lens Entertainment announced that they were teaming up to bring some of the creepiest manga tales to life. In a partnership with Junji Ito, Fangoria and Lens had announced that they would be working on a trilogy of films based on Bloodsucking Darkness and The Mystery of The Haunted House, with the latter split into two films. When it comes to the first story, Bloodsucking Darkness focuses on a new kind of vampire as a girl attempts to decipher the mystery of vampire bats attacking her town. For The Haunted House, the two-part movie will be based on a manga that focuses on a mysterious locale filled with monsters and creepy, familiar faces. Junji Ito has remained the biggest master of horror in the anime world, and these films will hopefully once again prove that.
5.) Voltron
World Events Productions
Voltron has had a long history in the anime world and might be one of the most important series in introducing the medium to North America. While the series would eventually spawn a fan-favorite animated series on Netflix, that previous entry was eventually ended and has since departed the streaming service. Luckily, Voltron still has gas in the tank thanks to Amazon MGM Studios. Like Mobile Suit Gundam, the live-action anime adaptation has already announced some major casting, including the likes of Henry Cavill, Sterling K. Brown, Alba Baptista, Samson Kay, and Rita Ora so far. The film is set to be directed by Rawson Marshall Thurber (Dodgeball: A True Underdog Story, Red Notice, Skyscraper), and mech fans are waiting to hear more on the famous anime lions.
4.) Your Name
Image Courtesy of CoMix Wave Films
Of the many projects listed here, this is one of the shakiest in terms of actually happening. However, Your Name had previously been announced to receive a live-action adaptation with studios Paramount, Bad Robot, and Toho all teaming up to bring it to life. Following the recent merging of Paramount and Skydance, the status of this project is up in the air after not receiving updates for years, though the live-action anime adaptation had received some major players involved in its production. In 2022, it was announced that Carlos Lopez Estrada (Raya And The Last Dragon) would write and direct the project, though no further updates have been released. Considering how heartwarming and introspective the original anime was, thanks to creator Makoto Shinkai, translating the tale to the live-action seems like a slam dunk.
3.) My Hero Academia
studio bones
Following the series finale of the anime, My Hero Academia is continuing with one more episode coming this year, and the second season of My Hero Academia: Vigilantes is already underway. Luckily, Kohei Horikoshi’s beloved superhero shonen series is planning to take the live-action world by storm with an upcoming live-action film. Netflix and Legendary are teaming up to finally bring Deku and his fellow UA Academy students to the “real world.” While casting announcements have yet to be made, director Shinsuke Sato (Alice in Borderland) is heading up the project, while Jason Fuchs (Wonder Woman) is writing the script. A release date has yet to be revealed for this one, but it comes as good news for those wanting to revisit Class 1-A.
2.) One-Punch Man
madhouse
Sony Pictures has had quite a successful run when it comes to anime. Thanks to purchasing Crunchyroll, the studio has reaped the benefits of movies like Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle and Chainsaw Man The Movie: The Reze Arc so it should be no major surprise that Sony is dipping its toes into the live-action adaptation fare. One-Punch Man is set to be a major entry in Sony Pictures’ live-action anime adaptation world, with director Justin Lin (Fast & The Furious) attached. With legendary writers Dan Harmon and Heather Anne Campbell attached, anime fans are hoping that this upcoming project does justice to the source material and avoids the pitfalls that were a part of One-Punch Man season three.
1.) Naruto
Courtesy of Shueisha
While this list isn’t exactly ranked, a live-action Naruto movie is something that we’ve been looking forward to seeing for years at this point. In 2024, Lionsgate confirmed that it would be creating a live-action take on the Hidden Leaf Village with none other than director Daniel Deston Cretton helming the project. With the director perhaps best known for creating Shang-Chi: The Legend of The Ten Rings for the Marvel Cinematic Universe, with Cretton also helming this year’s Spider-Man: Brand New Day, the project appears to be in good hands. Cretton even received the blessing from Naruto creator, Masashi Kishimoto. Unfortunately, no word has been revealed as to when this project will arrive, though this is sure to send shockwaves through the anime world whenever it arrives.
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