Warner Bros. has been developing a live-action adaptation of Tite Kubo’s immensely popular Japanese manga/anime Bleach for almost two years now, and it looks like things are picking up speed for the project.
Variety report that the studio has now set Dan Mazeau, co-writer of the upcoming Wrath of the Titans, to pen the adaptation, which Peter Segal (Get Smart) is producing with an eye to possibly directing too.
Michael Ewing, Segal’s frequent collaborator, will be producing along with Masi Oka (you’ll know him as Hiro from Heroes), who co-starred in Segal’s Get Smart and was the one to bring the project to him, which makes this quite possibly the most awesome news I’ve heard this year so far.
Bleach revolves around the character of Ichigo (voiced by Masakazu Morita in the original Japanese, and Johnny Yong Bosch in the English dubs), who accidentally acquires the powers of a Soul Reaper, introducing him to a whole new world of ridiculously awesome action as he fights to protect his friends, family, and the town he lives in.
“”I’ve always been a huge fan of ‘Bleach’ and have great respect for its creator Kubo and the truly original and amazing world he has created in this manga,” said Segal, whose “Get Smart” grossed more than $230 million worldwide for Warners in 2008.”
No word yet on a story, so it’s not certain whether Mazeau will be adapting Kubo’s original work directly or creating a story with the original characters. If it were the former, I’d guess he’ll adapt the first three seasons of the anime, which comes to just over sixty episodes, because they’d work brilliantly in introducing people unfamiliar with the franchise to the characters as well as having one hell of a potential for cinematic epicness.
Kubo’s manga is still ongoing and started being published just over a decade ago, with the fifty-fourth volume due to be released next month. The anime adaptation was started back in 2004, and is also still ongoing, and is currently up to episode 361.
If you’ve not seen or read any of Bleach before, I’d definitely recommend looking into it. As daunting a task as three hundred and sixty episodes might sound, it will have you hooked in no time. To give you a taster of the brilliant style, visuals, and music of the anime, here’s the second opening credits scene for your viewing pleasure (which is essentially free of spoilers, since the opening credits often don’t feature any scenes from the show itself). Let us know if you’re excited about the project and who you’re most looking forward to seeing on the big screen in the comments below. (Please keep it spoiler-free though!)
(N.B. I’d also recommend watching the subbed version, rather than dubbed; I personally just can’t take the American voice-overs seriously. The entire Japanese voice cast are perfect, so no need to settle for anything less!)
[yframe url=’http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eVGrbZKjY8k’]
