Netflix has nabbed the live-action film adaptation of the manga sensation My Hero Academia from Legendary Entertainment, best known for its monsterverse tentpoles.
Joby Harold is penning the screenplay for the live-action feature, which will be director and executive producer Shinsuke Sato’s English-language debut and will see the popular manga property jump to the live-action movie realm. Harold’s credits include Obi-Wan Kenobi and Army of the Dead.
Netflix earlier backed an adaptation of the Japanese manga Death Note. My Hero Academia is a manga that has become a sensation worldwide, having debuted in 2014 and now gained attention in the North American market. It quickly became an anime now in its sixth season.
Legendary bought the rights to a live-action adaptation of My Hero Academia in October 2018. The adaptation will be produced by Legendary’s Mary Parent and Alex Garcia and takes place in a world where 80 percent of people have a developed power called a “quirk.”
For superhero fanboy Izuku Midoriya (aka Deku), being born without a quirk makes him almost give up his dream of going to U.A. High School, the most prestigious hero training academy. But after a chance encounter with the legendary All Might, Deku starts on the road to become the greatest hero.
There’s no word on casting for the live adaptation, which may attract a host of Japanese-American actors. Toho Co., Ltd. will distribute the film theatrically in Japan.
