‘Bleach’ Live-Action Movie Is Reportedly in the Works!!

Gather around anime fans for another classic anime may be getting the live-action treatment. The success of Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece appears to be having a huge ripple effect on Hollywood, with another major production studio wanting in on the fun. Once thought to be a difficult undertaking, the success of One Piece appears to be good enough evidence that translating the complex world of anime into live-action is a possibility. With the recipe for success now known, Hollywood is proceeding to adapt even more fan-favorite Japanese anime. According to a new report via Comic Book, a new Bleach live-action movie may be coming from Warner Bros. Pictures.

The news comes as Bleach fans are celebrating the manga’s 20th anniversary and are also counting down to the release of Bleach: Thousand-Year Blood War (aka The Conflict). Season 3 of the Bleach anime series scheduled to premiere this October. No writer or director has yet been attached to the project but, as per the reports, talks are currently ongoing to fill those roles, so more updates should surface in the coming weeks. A successful live-action adaptation of Bleach would round out the adaptation of the top three classic Japanese anime with a huge Western fan base – One Piece, Bleach, and Naruto, with the latter set at Lionsgate, recently completing its script.

Warner Bros.‘s attachment to a new Bleach project comes as little surprise given the studio was a part of the first live-action Bleach adaptation which was purely a Japanese production. Released in 2018, the film adapted the first arc of the original manga by Tite Kubo and was directed by Shunsuke Sato. The movie was fairly successful among critics but divided fans, with some praising its faithfulness to the source material, while others seemed unimpressed by the action sequences. Netflix sampled the movie with its audience when it debuted on the streamer, enjoying a pretty decent buzz before exiting in August 2023.

What a Live-Action Adaptation of ‘Bleach’ Needs To Guarantee Success

The fan base is already available to generate enough interest in a live-action adaptation, but with the past showing that anime adaptations can be a dicey affair, Warner Bros. would still need to tread carefully if they intend to create something compelling enough to get those fans out in theaters, or huge streaming numbers, as the case may be. If anything, it helps that Bleach has previously gone down the live-action road, so there is a reference point. There are no plot details yet, but fans will be expecting a new movie to adapt the second arc, which in the closing moments of the first film was teased for a potential sequel that never materialized.

One significant factor that could ensure that a live-action Bleach adaptation is well-received is the involvement of original manga creator Tite Kubo in the way that Netflix did with One Piece’s Eiichiro Oda. Oda was heavily involved throughout the creative process, with Netflix deferring to the artist for his approval on many aspects. The final material was only put out after Oda put his stamp of approval on it. Thus, a similar approach to ensure Bleach’s success is a no-brainer. The coming weeks should bring more updates on a new Bleach live-action, so stay tuned to Collider for more.