Heart-wrenching GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES Set For Live-Action Adaptation

Heart-wrenching GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES Set For Live-Action Adaptation

A classic anime feature film from Studio Ghibli will be receiving the live-action treatment as Dresden Pictures looks to bring Akiyuki Nosaka's incredibly emotional war story to the silver screen. Will this be as controversial as the Akira adaptation?

News
By MarkJulian - Nov 27, 2012 09:11 AM EST
Filed Under: Anime & Manga
Source: Screen Daily


Grave of the Fireflies is a 1988 anime film based on the 1967 novel from Akiyuki Nosaka. It's one of the most important anime films of all-time however, there are no spirit demons or shinigami in this anime adaptation. The film follows two children struggling to survive alone in a war-torn Japan during World War II. It's an important work because it offers an uncompromising look at the events of firebombing of the city of Kobe by American forces during that time. Roger Ebert has called it "one of the most powerful war films ever made" and the film as earned similar praise from practically every media outlet that springs to mind. Directed by Studio Ghibli, it's the feature that put Studio Ghibli on the map.

Dresden Pictures, which has released a number of noteworthy shorts has acquired film rights and U.K. distribution for a live-action adaptation of the film with plans to start shooting in 2014. There is speculation that the film could be re-imagined to reflect German bombings in England during World War II. If so, expect backlash akin to Warner Bros. planned (now shelved) adaptation of the beloved Akira anime.

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Spidey91
Spidey91 - 11/27/2012, 9:36 AM
I checked this movie because everybody and their mother said that it was so sad I would cry a river or something like that...nothing happened.
maybe they were exaggerating,or maybe I'm just a cold-hearted bastard :P
luffycapri
luffycapri - 11/27/2012, 9:43 AM
The ending maid me cry 9 years ago.
616
616 - 11/27/2012, 9:55 AM
I'd say it lends itself to a live action movie. The Akira movie is controversial because it'd be difficult to translate to live action when it is not only SciFi bit highly stylized...
MarkJulian
MarkJulian - 11/27/2012, 9:59 AM
The controversy was primarily about WB whitewashing the pic which is reportedly set to happen here as well. It's a really good story though that if done right with some top talent could make some noise.
Theunderdog
Theunderdog - 11/27/2012, 10:21 AM
OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG OMG
Tomontherun99
Tomontherun99 - 11/27/2012, 10:25 AM
Sounded like a good idea... until it mentioned it may be whitewashed and placed in England rather than Japan. I'll stay optimistic but I doubt it will reach the emotional heights of the original
soaponapope
soaponapope - 11/27/2012, 10:31 AM
the anime was based on a specific event involving a real person, and as far as i know the japanese guy (who "is" the boy in the movie) is still alive today. it would be hard to get away with something like completely changing the setting
AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 11/27/2012, 10:57 AM
Great film.

Probably will pass the live action version thou.
NorrinRaddical
NorrinRaddical - 11/27/2012, 11:08 AM
no no no no no.

Ebert says it best on the commentary. This is a great case for why anime was actually the most powerful representation.
MisterBabadook
MisterBabadook - 11/27/2012, 11:45 AM
You can't tell this story w/o it being Japanese, that's the draw. Frustrating.
NorrinRaddical
NorrinRaddical - 11/27/2012, 11:46 AM
DatScarletPimPerNeLL: 100% agree with you
NorseGod
NorseGod - 11/27/2012, 2:00 PM
It is a beautiful film that doesn''t need to be reinterpreted by some Hollywood d*ckhead. They are just interested in capitalizing off of people's emotions. The film was created as a remembrance of the horrors of war. I don't believe anyone interested in remaking it has that honest intention at their heart.
neonhero
neonhero - 11/27/2012, 2:28 PM
Without a doubt the saddest movie I've ever seen. Animation already captured this story perfectly.
Luther
Luther - 11/27/2012, 4:21 PM
...would be amazing as live-action, but of course, again, Japanese. These stories they're modernizing make it CLEAR that it's setting AND STORY are TIED TO JAPAN (and in this case, it's history). WHAT IS THE NEED, TO NOW MAKE IT ENGLAND OR U.S, ETC?? If your intent is to truly adapt it, and keep the same message/impact the anime did, just adapt it..not that hard. BUT, if your sole goal is cash..well, it's obvious at that point. So you not only run the possibility of overlooking and ignoring the original targeted audience, it can also come off very disrespectful, as well. And completely misses the point of the story.

Just adapt another Anime..there are plenty others, that are not exclusively Japanese.
mbembet
mbembet - 11/27/2012, 4:59 PM
the saddest movie in history! great film this is why disney/pixar is NOTHING compared to Studio Ghibli
pixar
pixar - 11/27/2012, 6:42 PM
GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES IS ONE OF IF NOT MY FAVORITE MOVIES.......WTF?????? ENGLAND????????????????????? AAARRRGGGHHHH!!!! THATS A INSULT TO THE GUY WHO WROTE THE BOOK. YOU KNOW, THE JAPANESE SURVIVOR?
pixar
pixar - 11/27/2012, 6:45 PM
there are already 2 japanese live action versions (i think). We dont need an american one.
Brady1138
Brady1138 - 11/28/2012, 9:31 AM
Interesting, but there's no way they can recapture the raw emotion of a very Japanese movie. Whatever, they can do what they want with it, as long as I can continue to bawl my eyes out with the original.
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