Following the success of Makoto Shinkai’s your name. (Kimi no Na wa.), the hit anime film is set to receive the Hollywood treatment as Paramount Pictures and J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot Productions acquired the rights to produce a live action adaptation.
Abrams, who is known for directing and producing the 2015 movie Star Wars: The Force Awakens, and Lindsey Weber will be producing the live action adaptation along with Genki Kawamura, the original producer of the film. They will also be working with TOHO, the original distributor of the movie.
Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Eric Heiserrer, whose work include Final Destination 5 and Arrival, is set to be in charge of the script.
Shinkai expressed his excitement for the Hollywood live action adaptation, “your name. is a film created with the innate imaginations of a Japanese team and put together in a domestic medium. When such a work is imbued with Hollywood filmmaking, we may see new possibilities that we had been completely unaware of. I am looking forward to the live-action film with excited anticipation.”
Kawamura is also positive about the adaptation, “The meetings so far have been creatively stimulating with fantastic ideas that no doubt will make for a great movie. I am greatly honored to work with these incredible creators in bringing to audiences the Hollywood live-action version of your name.”
Details about the rest of staff, cast, and release date are yet to be announced.
The day the stars fell, two lives changed forever. High schoolers Mitsuha and Taki are complete strangers living separate lives. But one night, they suddenly switch places. Mitsuha wakes up in Taki’s body, and he in hers. This bizarre occurrence continues to happen randomly, and the two must adjust their lives around each other. Yet, somehow, it works. They build a connection and communicate by leaving notes, messages, and more importantly, an imprint.
When a dazzling comet lights up the night’s sky, it dawns on them. They want something more from this connection—a chance to meet, an opportunity to truly know each other. Tugging at the string of fate, they try to find a way to each other. But distance isn’t the only thing keeping them apart. Is their bond strong enough to face the cruel irony of time? Or is their meeting nothing more than a wish upon the stars? (Synopsis from Funimation Entertainment)
your name., also known by its Japanese title Kimi no Na wa. (君の名は。), is a Japanese animated film written and directed by Shinkai, who is known for anime films like Voices from a Distant Star, 5 Centimeters Per Second and The Garden of Words.
The anime movie is based on the novel with the same name, also written by Shinkai, which was published in Japan by Kadokawa in June of last year. The film was produced by CoMix Wave Films and distributed by TOHO, which premiered in Japanese theaters on August 26, 2016 and ran for 29 weeks.
The film is now considered as the highest-earning anime film worldwide, beating Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away, earning US$281 million (about PHP14 billion) in mid-January. According to industry website Box Office Mojo, the film has now earned a total of US$354,425,227 (about PHP18 billion), including the North American screenings.
The anime film, which was distributed by local movie distributor Pioneer Films, was screened in local cinemas in December 14, 2016 and ran for about two weeks before the Metro Manila Film Festival the same year.
Broadcasting giant ABS-CBN has announced last June that several Japanese films, including your name., is set to air on TAG movie channel in Filipino-dubbing, but they did not indicate if the movies will premiere on the channel.
