is reporting that Warner Bros. has scooped up U.S. film rights to both the anime and manga saga, Attack On Titan. Producer David Heyman (Harry Potter, Fantastic Beasts) will spearhead the project for the studio and will reportedly be primarily based on the two existing 2015 films that were made in Japan. No writer or director has been announced for the project at this time, nor has a production timeline been laid out.
The story of Attack On Titan is set in a future where gigantic monstrous beings known as Titans have invaded Earth a century earlier. They have since hunted and eaten humans to the point where mankind has become an endangered species. Those left alive must band together to survive in walled up cities.
The plot is reminiscent of Warner Bros.’ own Pacific Rim, which the manga version of Titan predates development on by at least a year. While the studio has since let the Pacific Rim franchise go, with Universal making the upcoming sequel (Pacific Rim: Uprising), they’ve still been decidedly giant monster crazy in recent years. Their 2014 Godzilla film was released to great success and a new King Kong offering, Kong: Skull Island, arrives this March. In addition to both, we still have Godzilla: King of the Monsters (2019) and Godzilla vs. Kong (2020) coming from the Brothers Warner.
Even beyond WB, boy oh boy is it a great time to be a giant monster fan. This year alone we also have the likes of Lionsgate’s Power Rangers, Neon’s Colossal, and Netflix’s Okja to look forward to. A Godzilla anime is also expected to come out of Japan from franchise-holders Toho at some point in the coming months. On top of all of that, there’s also a live action followup to Shin Godzilla in development at Toho, a Gamera reboot in the works, and the oft-rumored The Host 2. I’m certain I’m forgetting at least one other project.
Like I said, it’s a wonderful time to be a fan of giant monster movies!
