JJ Abrams Wants to Make His Own Live-Action Version of This $398M Anime Classic (It's a Bad Idea)
The production has not been able to get off the ground for eight years and continues to change directors.
Makoto Shinkai is a unique example of a creative person whose evolution our generation can follow in real time.
Each of his new films is a step into new territory. But Your Name was not just a step forward – it was a leap forward. And the evidence of this is the enormous success of anime both in Japan and around the world – Your Name is one of the three highest-grossing anime films in history.
JJ Abrams Decided to Make a Live-Action Version of Your Name Back in 2017
Almost immediately after the premiere of Your Name, producer JJ Abrams decided to adapt it to Western realities and, of course, to make a movie with live actors.
The Hollywood version is the responsibility of JJ Abrams' production company, which plans to transfer the plot from Japan to the US, while replacing the main characters with a schoolboy from Chicago and a Native American girl from the province.
Your Name Production Can't Get Off the Ground & Keeps Changing Directors
Plans for a film adaptation became known in 2017, but apparently the production has not moved far – over the years, the project has changed three directors.
First Marc Webb, who directed The Amazing Spider-Man, and then Oscar nominee Lee Isaac Chung, known for the highly acclaimed film Minari, were at the helm of the production.
In 2022, it was announced that a third director had joined the project, replacing Chung – Carlos López Estrada, who would not only direct but also write the script for the film. Estrada is known as the creator of Raya and the Last Dragon and Blingspotting.
Hollywood Remakes of Anime Typically Fail
Hollywood began adapting anime and manga long ago, and those attempts often ended in failure, and the fact that the production of Your Name can't get off the ground seems to be a direct indication that translating an already perfect anime story into a live-action format is a bad idea.
The most high-profile anime remake failures occurred in the late 2000s. Dragonball Evolution is still considered one of the worst manga adaptations because the creators were careless with the plot of the original source.
Fans of anime often explain the failure of film adaptations by the fact that Hollywood simply does not understand and respect the original source. But there are several more fundamental reasons why filmmakers cannot make a convincing anime adaptation.
Anime Colors and Their Meaning Are Impossible to Transfer to Live-Action
Color plays a key and sometimes symbolic role in anime. Landscapes reflect the emotional state of characters, and the dominant color in clothing reflects their inner feelings and development.
In live-action adaptations, this is ruined by color correction: The Last Airbender movie is dominated by murky blue, Dragonball Evolution is dominated by desert orange, and Netflix projects (except for One Piece ) are ruined by a lifeless digital image.
Anime Is Harder to Adapt Than a Book or Video Game
Animation and film are visual media that represent, reveal, and communicate ideas in different ways. The possibilities of animation are limitless; creators can easily experiment with styles and their combinations, the amount of detail, the choice of colors, and the depiction of movement.
Creating a live-action version of anime is more difficult than adapting a literary source or a video game. Creators must completely rethink what happens on screen and adapt the image to the language of cinema: how characters look, move, express emotions, and interact with the environment.