By Lee Isaac Chung, who directed this year’s A24 favourite Minari, will write the screenplay for and direct the live-action version of Japan’s beloved anime, Your Name.
When the news of the live-action remake first emerged back in February of 2019, Marc Webb was slated to direct the remake of Makoto Shinkai’s feature. The news went a little quiet for a while but according to Deadline, the mantle has now been handed to Lee Isaac Chung, whose Sundance feature has raised his profile significantly over the last few months.
Working with Emily V. Gordon (The Big Sick), Chung will rework the screenplay, originally penned by Arrival screenwriter Eric Heisserer. J.J.Abrams’ production company Bad Robot are still heading up production, with original producer Genki Kawamura keeping consistency with the 2016 feature.
We know that certain elements of the feature are going to change; for one thing, it’ll no longer take place in the Tokyo/Itomori settings, but instead play out in modern-day Chicago. There is also talk that the main characters will be a teenage suburban teenager and a Native American, which could be an interesting twist on the original.
On release, Your Name quickly achieved legendary status as Japan’s highest-grossing anime. To date it’s made a hefty $350 million worldwide, giving an indication of its huge and ongoing popularity. While we don’t yet have the details of a release date for the feature, it’s likely that the live-action remake will attract fans of the original (and English-speaking ones at that), with little doubt that it will make a splash with international audiences too
Source: Deadline
