5 Anime Shows That Can Work On the Big Screen

With news that Cowboy Bebop might be getting a live action TV series, I wanted to run through 5 anime shows I believe would work on the big screen along with the appropriate director and writer to give the story justice. Each anime show is unique in their own respect. Each with a particular voice that elevates the material on its own. Staying true to that voice is exactly what's going to make each one of these suggestions work on the big screen.

One Punch Man

Director: Edgar Wright

Writer: Edgar Wright 

If anyone can pull off One Punch Man it's Edgar Wright.  Think about it. The absolute absurdity that would take place on screen and the amounts of laughs the audience would undergo watching a bald-headed actor fight a half-crab half human man. Written with the humor and wit Edgar Wright is known for in his scripts, he can take something that different and bring it to life.  Even the supposed deeper meanings behind the story such as class warfare suit Edgar's taste perfectly. In A World's End he takes what is a simple premise: A group of friends getting together for the first time in a while to go on a pub run, then flips it to them fighting aliens, then flips it again with a deeper meaning of belonging and regrets. He knows how to work with strange material and bring the human side out. I mean he was Marvel's first choice for Ant-Man. Scott Pilgrim vs. The World proves he can handle comic-like material and rip it right from the pages.  Edgar can bring out the heart and humor everyone loves about One Punch Man. Just don't use a big budget. 😃

Space Dandy

Director: Taika Waititi

Writer: Dan Harmon & Taika Waititi

With Thor: Ragnorok looking like a juicy rainbow splash of melted Skittles bursting onto my face with enormous vigor, Taika seems like the perfect director to take on the colorful universe of Space Dandy. Even though it stars a super woman-loving grease-head in love with boobies, Space Dandy has heart. Especially when you're talking about Scarlett and Space Dandy's relationship. The Hunt for the Wilderpeople is proof Taika can skillfully juggle heart with humor and What We Do In The Shadows shows off his weird side. And with a main story so loosely told and not bound to any real rules, it gives Taika room to maneuver and brand his own narrative, giving the general audience a 2 hour freakout fest they can understand and laugh too. Also the vibrant colors that pop out alongside weirdly designed aliens in this multi-universe would be perfect for 3D. 

The reason for Dan Harmon is his spectacular work on Rick & Morty and Space Dandy being similar in tone. His experience in writing endless universes filled with absurdly drawn beings and the adventures two characters take within them shows he knows how to handle this kind of quirky material. His work on Community shows he can pull off that kind of work in live-action too.

Oh and Zac Efron for Space Dandy.

Your Lie In April

Director: James Ponsoldt
Writers: Scott Neustadter & Michael H. Weber

Just watch A Spectacular Now Or The End of The Tour to see how James Ponsoldt works. The stories he directs read like they should be on Lifetime or Hallmark but he knows just how to elevate the material to new heights and make it more than a just cheesy TV movie. He brings humanity to characters and knows how to work with actors in dramas. Your Lie In April is VERY melodramatic. James and the writers of 500 Days of Summer can work with the material and turn it into a gut wrenching teen drama worthy of the silver screen. With 13 Reasons Why still echoing in the pop-sphere, this movie is sure to bring in big bucks at the box office too.

Outlaw Star

Director:  Joe Carnahan

Writers: Joe Carnahan & Peter Craig 

Ahhhh....Outlaw Star. My Guardians of the Galaxy.  I used to watch this as a kid and was obsessed with Gene Starwind's gun. I'm currently revisiting this anime classic and I can say it holds up. With GOTG all the rave right now, Outlaw Star would fit in perfectly. I mean one of the ship mates is like a half-animal half-chick so yeah, imagine how many toys Hollywood can sell of that shit. Joe Carnahan can definitely handle the action and emotional parts of the story. Smokin Aces shows he can handle fast paced narratives sprinkled with humor. Peter Craig could help because he adapted Cowboy Bebop for the screen years ago in a failed studio attempt at starting a franchise. I read the script and it's good. So with Outlaw Star being similar in that it's set in space with a tight knit crew, Peter can help Joe navigate those waters a little. And he also wrote The Town. The guy knows how to write about families.

Attack On Titan

Director: Wes Ball  

Writer: Max Borenstein 

No question this movie would make major dollars worldwide. I shouldn't even have to type up why this masterful horror story should be on screen and I won't.  But I will talk about who should direct it: Wes Ball. The Maze Runner is probably the best YA dystopian movie adaptation out there.  It shows Wes Ball can work with teenagers and bring out the fear, anger and instability of being young while the world is crumbling around you.  And let's face it, Attack On Titan at it's core is a story about teenagers struggling with survival. I remember those first few episodes clearly. The horror on their faces seeing people getting ripped apart. It's like The Deer Hunter for kids. Wes Ball knows this territory well.  And Max Borenstein knows big action. Big fucking blockbuster action. He has the creative mind to make Attack On Titan a popcorn movie just right for summer. Working on Godzilla & Kong, the man has experience with smashing humans with giant feet. It just works.