Sony is hoping to turn yet another beloved manga property into its next big franchise. According to Deadline, the studio is developing a live-action movie based on Gantz, the manga series written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku. Overlord director Julius Avery has signed on to direct the film.
Oku launched Gantz in 2000, with the stories appearing in the pages of Japan’s Weekly Young Jump magazine. The series followed Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, two casualties of a train accident who are drafted into a semi-posthumous game where they and other recently-deceased participants must hunt and kill aliens using an arsenal of futuristic weaponry. Oku produced 37 volumes of the series before concluding the story in 2013.
Additionally, Sony has chosen Arrowverse architect Marc Guggenheim to write the script for Gantz, with Temple Hill producing as well. Deadline’s report also notes that the project is still in the early stages of development and doesn’t have a start date. However, this won’t be the first time that Gantz has hit the big screen. Two live-action films previously hit theaters in Japan in 2011. In 2004, the series was also turned into an anime series that lasted two seasons.
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Avery was 20th Century’s original choice to reboot the Flash Gordon franchise before it changed hands to Taika Waititi. Last year, Universal hired Avery to direct a reboot of their Van Helsing franchise and also take his own pass at the script. Avery’s next movie, Samaritan, stars Sylvester Stallone and hits theaters next year.
What are your hopes for an Americanized version of Gantz? Let us know in the comments down below!
Recommended Reading: Gantz Omnibus Volume 1
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