10 Upcoming Live-Action Anime Adaptations in the Works
With Hits Like One Piece and Alice in Borderland, These 10 Upcoming Live-Action Adaptations Might Finally Break the Curse
After viewing live-action adaptations of anime as a curse for decades, fans have begun to find hope in this genre recently, thanks to the success of series like One Piece and Alice in Borderland. The good news is that there are more live-action anime adaptions in the works, and we have compiled a list of some of the best upcoming ones.
With anime’s growing popularity worldwide, many big studios have acquired rights for live-action adaptations to make a heavy profit out of it. These live-action adaptations of anime aim to target a newer audience who might not have seen or would just not prefer to watch animated series or read manga.
The live-action of One Piece has shown that it is always possible to achieve success in an adaptation if it is approached in the right way. This list not only includes new upcoming live-action anime adaptations but also covers sequels of previously released series/movies.
Table of Contents
10. Beyblade
Beyblade has been a part of every nerd’s childhood, whether it’s about playing with their friends or just enjoying the anime series. With the growing popularity in the market, Paramount secured the rights to Beyblade live-action back in 2015.
The last announcement about the project in February 2022 says that Neil Widener and Gavin James have been assigned the screenplay work, with Paramount, Hasbro, and Jerry Bruckheimer producing it. However, it is still unclear whether they are working on adapting one of the anime series or trying to make a completely different story.
9. Alice in the Borderland Season 3
Alice in Borderland is one of Netflix’s most successful live-action series. The series was released in 2020 and currently has two seasons on Netflix, with the last episode ending on a crucial note by teasing a new antagonist, the Joker. This episode left Alice in Borderland’s fans anticipating what would happen next in this thrilling story.
However, their wait will soon be over, asNetflix has confirmed the series’ third season will be released in September 2025. Specific information regarding the new season has not really been mainstream yet.
8. My Hero Academia
My Hero Academia’s live-action adaptation was first announced in October 2018 when Legendary Entertainment secured its rights to bring the anime to life. The media company is known for producing high-budget movies like Dune, MonsterVerse films, the Batman Trilogy, etc., so fans have high hopes for it.
Also Read:
The last news from December 2022 says that Legendary Entertainment is working on the adaptation alongside Netflix, with Joby Harold as the screenplay writer. The anime holds the potential to be one of the best live-action adaptations, thanks to its popularity within the well-received superhero genre.
7. Your Name
Your Name is a pure work of art by Makoto Shinkai. Nothing gets you going like Your Name does with its romantic storyline mingled with a touch of fantasy. The success of Your Name opened doors for other non-Ghibli films in the global anime market.
Your Name live-action remake film has been in production since 2017. During this time, many writers and directors changed due to various reasons. As per an announcement in October 2022, Carlos López Estrada will write and direct the film, while the production is to be handled by Paramount Pictures.
The live-action adaptation will differ from the anime, as the Japanese rights holders want to give it a Western touch. So, instead of being of Japanese origin, the male lead will be from Chicago, while the female protagonist is a Native American living in the countryside.
6. One Punch Man
One Punch Man, known for its great humor and amazing action sequences, is one of the most popular Seinen anime. Unlike other superhero anime, One Punch Man does not emphasize long battle sequences with complex power-ups; instead, it shows the daily life of an overpowered hero who just wants to pass his day.
In April 2020, it was finally announced that One Punch Man was going into live-action development with Sony’s Columbia Pictures and would see Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner attached to write the script.
By April 2024, both writers were replaced by Dan Harmon and Heather Anne Campbell for a script rewrite. Besides this, Justin Lin will be directing and co-producing the live-action film, while Avi Arad is tasked as the main producer.
5. Death Note
Death Note is an extremely well-known anime worldwide. Its fame is due to its unique plot and character rivalry, which keeps you attached to the story right to the end. The anime is also considered one of the best beginner-friendly anime.
Recognizing the show’s immense popularity, Netflix released a live-action Death Note movie on its platform in August 2017, which, unfortunately, was a letdown for many anime lovers. It received a poor IMDb rating of 4.5/10.
Even after a negative response from the audience, an announcement was made in September 2021 stating they were working on its sequel, with Greg Russo as the scriptwriter.
Eventually, in July 2022, the idea of creating a sequel was abandoned. Rather, a completely different series would be created with the assistance of The Duffer Brothers, who own Upside Down Pictures. The following year, in October, Halia Abdel-Meguid was brought in as the writer and also the executive producer for the show.
4. Attack on Titan
Known for its utterly unbelievable plot twist and character development, Attack on Titan currently holds the highest rating of 9.1 for anime on IMDB.
So far, there have been two films adapted from Attack on Titan, released in July and September 2015. However, their adaptation received much criticism since the storyline greatly differed from that in the manga.
In October 2017, Warner Bros. announced its re-adaptation with Andy Muschietti as the director. But in November 2023, Muschietti left the project because of his tight schedule. The studio continues to search for a new director to take up the mantle.
Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira remains the legendary anime film that influenced the perception of animated works all over the world. Although it was not the first anime to lift the veil from people’s minds that animated content is only created for children, this anime played a great role in changing such a mentality among the audience, especially the Western one.
Even though Warner Bros. picked up the rights for the live-action adaptation back in 2002, the production just never seems to finish. Over the years, numerous writers and directors have been brought on and replaced due to various problems in production. The most recent news states that Taika Waititi has taken the director’s chair.
Waititi claimed that they’re doing an adaptation of the story from the manga rather than a full remake of the iconic anime. He has also been highly conscious of how protective the fans are toward this classic.
The Naruto series has ruled over the anime industry for years. In fact, its popularity has reached a level where anyone with the slightest knowledge of anime has some understanding of it.
The first chapter of Naruto was published by Masashi Kishimoto in 1999, and the legacy continues to this day with the sequel, Boruto. While Lionsgate bought the film rights and revealed a live-action Naruto film back in 2015, its true development started in 2023.
Recently, in August 2024, Tasha Huo, who is working on writing the screenplay for the adaptation, completed her writing and delivered the script to the film director Destin Daniel Cretton for the final touch.
1. One Piece Season 2
One Piece live-action Season 1 brought a fresh wave of excitement to this world of live-action anime adaptations. With this live-action show, Netflix broke its long-running curse and produced a good season.
Following the success of an incredible season 1, Netflix has renewed One Piece Live-Action for a Season 2, set to stream by late 2025 or early 2026.Season 2 has already concludedits filming in February 2025 and is now under post-production.
Assuming the adaptation does remain true to the manga, Season 2 will cover chapters 96 to 154, featuring arcs such as Loguetown, Reverse Mountain (Twin Capes), Whiskey Peak, Little Island, and Drum Island. The showrunners will again be assisted by One Piece creator Eiichiro Oda to ensure the new season lives up to the high bar set by the first.
Aside from Alice in Borderland and One Piece, anime fans are quite skeptical about these live-action adaptations, given their past history, especially Attack on Titan and Death Note. However, only time will tell whether these adaptations will flop or gain success like One Piece’s live-action did.
