For the past few years, some of our favorite anime series have been getting the Hollywood live-action treatment in both film and television. Whether they've been successful or not, they are seen as major IPs that studios would love to turn into their own franchise. Now, another beloved anime is set to make its jump to the big screen and it will be spearheaded by the person behind one of the most successful franchises in Hollywood.
According to Deadline, Fast and Furious director Justin Lin has been tapped to direct Sony's live-action film adaptation of One Punch Man. Venom and Jumanji writers Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner are writing the screenplay. Spider-Man producers Avi Arad and Ari Arad are producing the film alongside Lin. Production is intended to begin by year's end and the studio also plans for it to be a franchise starter.
In case you're not familiar, One Punch Man follows Saitama, a superhero who can defeat any opponent with a single punch but seeks to find a worthy opponent after growing bored by a lack of challenge due to his overwhelming strength. It started as a manga created by ONE before it became a hit anime that ran from 2015 to 2019.
Lin's involvement in the project came after his high-profile exit from Fast X at the start of production due to creative differences with Vin Diesel. Now, it looks like he was able to immediately find a new franchise to spearhead that he could also hopefully turn into a successful one.
While there might be fans who are scratching their heads over the plans on adapting One Punch Man into a Hollywood live-action film, Lin is certainly an interesting choice to helm it since we know that he is a great director based on his work in the Fast and Furious franchise and Star Trek Beyond. Let's just wait and see whether they will be able to move forward to production and, hopefully, deliver a satisfying and successful adaptation.
Also Read: Where to Start the One Punch Man Manga After the Anime
There is no release window set yet for the One Punch Man live-action film.