The idealAttack on TitanHollywood live-action would be incredibly challenging to pull off due to the iconic anime’s scale and level of violence. Based on Hajime Isayama’s best-selling manga,Attack on Titanwas one of the most popular anime series in the world for years and continues to bring in new fans even after its conclusion. WhileAttack on Titan’s endingwas recently revisited on the big screen with a recap movie,The Last Attackwas not the franchise’s first movie. Years before the manga was concluded,Attack on Titanreceived two Japanese live-action films.
Attack on Titan: Part 1andAttack on Titan: Part 2were both released in 2015 and covered the first few arcs of Eren Yeger’s saga. Although the movies could only do so much in terms of accuracy considering they were adapting an unfinished story, thelive-actionAttack on Titanfilms made many changesto the source material, most of which were not well received. Given thatAoThas only become more popular since 2015, the IP has certainly caught the attention of Hollywood. However,making a faithfulAttack on Titanadaptation would not be easy.
The Ideal Attack On Titan Live-Action Movie Would Have To Be An R-Rated Blockbuster
Attack On Titan Starts As An Action-Packed, Terrifying Horror Story
In 2018,Varietyreported that Its director Andy Muschietti was set to direct a live-actionAttack on Titanmovie for Warner Bros. However, no updates followed the original report, and, over six years later, it is unclear whether the project as originally described is happening. Regardless, withOne Pieceseason 1 topping Netflix charts and aNarutomovie in the works, it should only be a matter of time before a live-action adaptation ofAttack on Titanfrom Hollywood gets back on the table. That said,Attack on Titanwould have to be a big-budget R-rated film for it to work.
TheAttack on Titananime is rated TV-MA.
While thetruth about Eren Yeagerand the world where he grew up recontextualizes everything, the early days ofAttack on Titancan be described as a horror story where the monsters are giant creatures whose only purpose is to eat humans.Attack on Titanis one of the most violent anime in recent history, and its horrors go way beyond the graphic elements. Hollywood is no stranger to gory movies and R-rated horror films, butAttack on Titanwould also have to be a blockbuster full of visual effects and set pieces to make the anime justice.
Hollywood Isn’t Ready To Bet On An R-Rated Big-Budget Live-Action Anime Movie
Live-Action Anime Movies Are Still A Tricky Genre
R-rated movies are usually made on smaller budgets compared to PG-13 movies, as the latter will have a much broader appeal compared to the former and will naturally have bigger potential at the box office. However,it would be all but impossible to make anAttack on Titanlive-action movie with a small budget considering the manga’s scope and scale.Part of what makesAttack on Titanso great is to see hopeless humans going up against giant monsters – the Titans – which can only be achieved through visual effects.
Movies likeDeadpool & WolverineandOppenheimerhad no trouble being R-rated summer blockbusters, but Hollywood simply isn’t ready to bet on an anime adaptation to do the same.
A properAttack on Titanadaption would have to be comparable to theGodzilla vs. KongorTransformersmovies, all of which are among the most expensive blockbusters of recent years. Still, making a PG-13Attack on Titanmovie would be just as difficult. Without the visual impact of all the death and destruction caused by the Titans, Eren’s journey to“kill every single Titan”would not hit the same. Movies likeDeadpool & WolverineandOppenheimerhad no trouble being R-rated summer blockbusters, but Hollywood simply isn’t ready to bet on an anime adaptation to do the same.
Recent R-Rated Hits Mean Attack On Titan Could Be Very Successful If Done Right
Deadpool & Wolverine Was The Latest R-Rated Movie To Gross Over $1 Billion
Live-action anime adaptations from Hollywoodhave yet to prove themselves as a viable genre, particularly when it comes to theatrical movies. WhatOne Piecehas accomplished is incredible and will change the game, butwe still need to see anime adaptions doing great at the box office before something likeAttack on Titancan be done.That said, the success of films such asOppenheimerandDeadpool & Wolverineis an important reminder that R-rated movies can make for successful blockbusters.
All 16 Netflix Live-Action Anime Adaptations, Ranked Worst To Best (Including One Piece)
Netflix created a nearly perfect live-action anime adaptation with One Piece, and its history of failures and successes proves this was no easy task.
LikeDeadpool & Wolverine,Attack on Titanwould have the advantage of being tied to a popular IP, although the film would also have to bring in people who are not familiar with the anime for it to be a hit. Despite all the challenges that would come with the project, a big-budgetAttack on Titanmovie made with a lot of care for the source material would make for an incredible cinematic experience, ranging from fun kaiju action to horrifying moments.
