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With 'Akira' On Hold, Warner Bros Will Try Adapting The Manga 'Bleach' Instead; Peter Segal To Produce & Possibly Direct

News by Kevin Jagernauth | February 22, 2012 5:28 PM
17 Comments

Guess you can't blame them for trying, and it seems they really want to bring a manga to the big screen in one way or another. So with "Akira" dropping back into development (hell), Warner Bros. are turning their eyes to another manga property in the hopes they can get a tentpole out of it.

The studio has snapped up the live action rights to Tite Kubo's "Bleach" and they've picked something that already has a massive following and a proven track record. At least overseas. Selling over 75 million copies in Japan, and spawning an animated series that has sixteen seasons (and counting), it seems fans are caught up in the life of Ichigo, a teenager with the ability to see ghosts, who squares off against Hollow, an evil lost soul. The teen makes it his mission to protect the innocent and help tortured souls find peace. So far, so good, but the talent behind this thing will once again cause fans grief.

Dan Mazeau ("Wrath Of The Titans") will adapt the material, but Peter Segal -- the man behind Adam Sandler vehicles like "Anger Management," "50 First Dates" and "The Longest Yard" -- is going to produce and possibly direct. What. The. Fuck. Segal claims he's a big fan of the manga (really?) so maybe this is actually a passion project for him. Or maybe in a couple years' time we're going to be faced with an Adam Sandler-starring "Bleach" at the multiplex. Either way, the complaint department is gonna be busy because surely there are fans who are going to have a lot to say about this bit of news. [Variety]

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17 Comments

  • Mart | March 7, 2012 10:38 AMReply

    Please god, dont let them make Bleach movie as shit worth as they made Dragon Ball

  • Lee | February 28, 2012 11:05 AMReply

    though I'm not a Bleach fans, but please God make this go to development hell, pleasepleasepleasePUHLEEEEEZ!!

  • marushia | February 23, 2012 6:45 PMReply

    BOOOOOO! Bad idea just leave it alone. The anime is alot better. I can't see any actor as Ichigo.

  • LMA | February 23, 2012 5:08 PMReply

    A bad idea if you ask me, no need to ruin such a great series with a bad Americanization

  • KT | February 23, 2012 5:58 AMReply

    And Bleach has a huge following. Does WB not think that people are going to go ape-shit when they start changing the names (like Ichigo and Shinigami) and ethnicities of these characters? I dare them to NOT cast a Japanese male in the lead. Believe it or not, people do know the difference, orange hair and all.

  • peter wesson | February 23, 2012 4:01 AMReply

    We all know its going to be crap so all i can really say to express my feelings of this news is F**K OFF HOLLYWOOD !!!

  • American Otaku | February 23, 2012 12:13 AMReply

    I am begging you Hollywood, do not under any circumstances let Adam Sandler any where near this movie, in fact nix Segal too and get Christopher Nolan to direct it, he did pretty good with the dark knight

  • Travis Hopson | February 22, 2012 11:34 PMReply

    Warner Brothers must REALLY want this to happen, and specifically with Segal. Why? I have no idea, but this exact same story was reported two years ago, but I guess now it's finally confirmed.

  • Huffy | February 22, 2012 11:20 PMReply

    Bleach is already meh as is so I could care less; better they screw up a bland, generic "Villain of the Week" shonen magna than something ambitious and generation-defining like Akira.

  • -.-mlm | February 22, 2012 8:21 PMReply

    like they did with DB Evolution? HELL NO!!!! BACK OFF HOLLYWOOD!

  • padre | February 22, 2012 8:19 PMReply

    And what young Japanese actor shall star in this? Let's see if Warners learned anything with the whole Akira debacle.

  • jacson | February 22, 2012 8:19 PMReply

    They better not or there ganna lose a lot of money and get beat up

  • Sebastian Michaelis | February 22, 2012 8:15 PMReply

    OH PLEASE! PLEASE DO NOT screw this up!!!

  • al | February 22, 2012 9:47 PM

    oh they will....THEY WILL....MUAHAHAHAHAHA!!!....im trying to hide my sadness with laughter

  • Alex Der Naarada | February 22, 2012 8:11 PMReply

    I remember reading an interview with Tite Kubo in an interview in the Shonen Jump magazine... I believe he explicitly DIDN'T want a live action movie to be made. Damnit WB....

  • Kurosaki Ichigo | February 22, 2012 8:05 PMReply

    OH SWEET JESUS NOOOOOOO!!!!!!!

  • Nathan Dill | February 22, 2012 8:05 PMReply

    Wait, I don't get it are they doing a movie or a live-action movie. I'm confused.

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