Sony Pictures Steps Up Plans for More Live-Action Anime and Manga Movies
The global anime craze isn’t slowing down anytime soon, and Sony Pictures wants in on the action in a big way. During the Tokyo International Film Festival, Shebnem Askin, head of Sony Pictures International Production, revealed that the studio is actively expanding its slate of live-action adaptations based on popular anime and manga.
"Since I came here, I’m taking so many great meetings with a lot of companies that are producing incredible stories with anime. We are starting to look at different anime movies where we can hopefully adapt as live-action movies around the world," Askin said. "This is one of our missions by attending [Tokyo International Film Festival]."
Sony has already dipped its toe into this arena with Kingdom back in 2019, but according to what Askin is saying, that was just the beginning. The company sees a huge opportunity to bridge the gap between Japanese animation and international audiences with big-budget, globally released live-action films.
Across the entertainment industry, anime-inspired live-action projects are heating up fast. Destin Daniel Cretton, best known for Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, is developing a Naruto movie, while Netflix is moving forward with an adaptation of My Hero Academia.
Other fan-favorite titles like Your Name and One-Punch Man remain in development purgatory, while Akira, a project that’s haunted Warner Bros. for over two decades, appears to have finally been shelved.
Despite the challenges, anime’s mainstream power has never been stronger. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle smashed box office records to become the highest-grossing anime film ever made, and Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc took the top spot at the U.S. box office when it debuted.
Sony clearly sees the momentum and wants to be a key player in shaping the next phase of anime’s global takeover. With more studios diving headfirst into live-action adaptations, the next few years could be a wild ride for anime fans around the world.