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Screenwriter Eric Heisserer Discusses Live-Action Your Name Adaptation in Interview

Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Eric Heisserer (Arrival, Final Destination 5) spoke to movie news blog /Film about his work on the planned live-action Hollywood adaptation of Makoto Shinka's your name. anime film. In the interview, which was posted on Friday, Heisserer said that the Japanese rights holders requested a Westernized take on the source material.

"They stated if they wanted a Japanese live-action version, they would just do it themselves," he said. "But they want to see it through the lens of a western viewpoint."

Heisserer acknowledged that working on the adaptation within the specifications of the Japanese rights holders is difficult, but said that he loves the original film.

/Film asked Heisserer if the "hubub" around the Ghost in the Shell movie didn't scare the rights holders off from Americanizing the film. Heisserer responded that the version he pitched was was not a "Ghost in the Shell-like version." He noted that he was one of 20 or 30 people who pitched versions of the adaptation, "so they had a lot of choices."

Paramount's 2017 live-action Ghost in the Shell film was controversial primarily because of its casting of Scarlett Johansson as the Major, a character who was Japanese in the original story, but it also drew criticism for some of its story decisions.

Paramount Pictures and J.J. Abrams' Bad Robot Productions are producing the live-action your name. adaptation. Abrams (Star Wars: Episode VII – The Force Awakens) and Lindsey Weber from Bad Robot will produce the film alongside Genki Kawamura, the original film's producer. Paramount and Bad Robot will work with original producer TOHO, who will distribute the film in Japan.

The original film centers on Taki, a high school boy living in Tokyo who works part-time at a restaurant, and Mitsuha, a high school girl living in a town in rural Japan who wants to live in the city. One day, they begin switching bodies every time they sleep, and have to find a way to communicate with each other to manage each other's lives. Later, when they try to meet up physically for the first time, Taki discovers a secret that will lead to a race against time to try and save each other.

The original film opened in Japan in August 2016, and has become the fourth highest-grossing film of all time in Japan, the second highest-grossing Japanese film, and the second highest-grossing anime film.

The film opened in 92 countries and territories, and earned box-office achievements in South Korea, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, and Taiwan, in addition to Japan. Funimation Films screened the film in North America.

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news tip.

Source: /Film (Fred Topel)