Let’s be real here: ever since the release of the horrendous “Dragon Ball Evolution,” live-action anime adaptations have been getting a bad rep, which they are 98% deserving of. And just when we thought we were done with the genre, it seems to have suddenly had a resurgence in popular media.
Case in point: Sony’s Columbia Pictures announced back in 2020 that they were developing a live-action “One Punch Man” film. We get it, folks: you have every reason to sound the alarm bells, as the last thing we need is to see the loveable, goofball superhero Saitama be bogged down in a shell of his anime self.
Though we wish this was some fever dream, the development is in full swing as, back in June 2022, Justin Lin was unveiled as director and co-producer of the film. If you’re a film buff or someone who opened a new tab and Googled his name, you’d know that he is the director of several “Fast & Furious” franchises from 2009 up to “F9” (2021). From that point onwards, there was almost no news about the production, and this caused a massive stir within the anime community.
However, there’s recent development with those helming the project — Dan Harmon and Heather Anne Campbell will be the new writers for the upcoming adaptation. Both veteran scribes are known for their work in the hit adult sci-fi comedy “Rick and Morty” and will be replacing previously announced writers Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinker.
Most fans of both franchises breathed a sigh of relief with the news, as both Harmon and Campbell are known for blending their witty and often grim humour with high-octane, action-packed scenes, which is the entire skeleton of “One Punch Man” and why it’s popular.
For those who are not familiar with the storyline, “One Punch Man” is about an average man who, after three years of rigorous physical training, develops extraordinary strength that enables him to defeat anyone and everything with a single blow. He makes the wise decision to become a hero by using his newfound talent. But after a while, he grows tired of taking down monsters with ease and longs for a challenge to reignite his inner hero.
With that in mind, we are now excited for the upcoming film, but some can’t help but feel worried about it, largely due to the director’s track record. But with the recent popularity of Netflix’s “One Piece,” we just hope that this is the one (pun intended) remake that might change people’s minds about live-action reinterpretation
Sources: Anime Hunch, Wikimedia Commons [1], [2], [3], IMDb
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