Hoping to capitalize on the wave of popularity that’s currently carryingMy Hero Academiaonward and upward, Legendary has announced plans to produce a live-action feature film version of Shueisha’s uber-popular manga franchise created byKohei Horikoshi. If you’re already clutching your anime pearls, I’m right there with you. Live-action adaptations of anime, at least those made here in North America, have not gone over super-well in recent years for a variety of reasons: white-washed casting choices, gross misunderstandings of the source material, and too-small budgets for too-big ideas are just a few of them. But with the superhero fad showing no signs of slowing down, maybejust maybea live-actionMy Hero Academiacould work, even in the West.
With more than 17 million copies in circulation and a trophy case that’s rapidly filling up,My Hero Academiacontinues to grow into a global powerhouse in print, television, and even on the big screen. The story exists in a world in which 80% of humanity has developed some sort of special powers, known as quirks, but not all of them are super, and not all are used for good. The story focuses on a young boy nicknamed Deku who obsessively follows the new heroes while having no abilities of his own.
The anime series, which just finished its third season, is one of the most popular in Japan and has become a hit abroad as well, as evidenced by the franchise’s first animated feature film,My Hero Academia: Two Heroes, recently premiered in the U.S. The live-action version, however, will be produced by Legendary, withAlex Garcia(Godzillafranchise) andJay Ashenfelter(Pacific Rim: Uprising) overseeing on behalf of Legendary, andRyosuke Yoritomiin charge on behalf of Shueisha. Toho will distribute the film in Japan.
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