Scott Pilgrim, which has been a beloved comic, a cult classic film, and an absolutely addictive video game, has now reached boss level with an upcoming anime adaptation. Netflix and and UCP (The Umbrella Academy, Chucky) are adapting Bryan Lee O’Malley’s comic series, with O’Malley writing and executive producing alongside BenDavid Grabinski (Are You Afraid of the Dark? reboot).
The series will be animated by anime house Science SARU (Devilman Crybaby, Keep Your Hands Off Eizouken!), with Abel Góngora (OK K.O.!: Let’s Be Heroes, Star Wars Visions) directing. Edgar Wright, who directed the 2010 film Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, will also be executive producing with partner Nina Park.
An anime series for Scott Pilgrim makes sense, given its roots in manga and anime influences, as well as video game culture. And while it’s been nearly twenty years since the series was first published by Oni Press in 2004, Scott Pilgrim has remained a beloved franchise. Even Wright’s film, which was a box office flop on release, has since attained a cult following. The film’s 10th anniversary in 2020 saw a theatrical re-release, a reunion Zoom table read, and an extended soundtrack release.
And while the film wasn’t commercially profitable, the Scott Pilgrim merchandise continues to make make money. In an interview with Collider, Wright said, “[The film] kept getting re-released on Blu-ray. I mean, more fucking Funko Pops than you can imagine. You could fill a house with Funko Pops of Scott Pilgrim. And then occasionally you’d get calls from Universal saying, ‘Is there anything else we can do with Scott Pilgrim?’ I can’t speak out of turn, but there’s still some potential things that might happen in that regard.”
Scott Pilgrim has also seen many of its actors go on to superstar turns, like Chris Evans and Brie Larson joining the Marvel cinematic universe. And younger audiences continue to discover the film and fall in love with it.
An episodic structure will allow for a deeper dive into its characters than a two hour film can deliver. And it will also serve to highlight the various side plots and supporting characters that fans love. There’s no word yet on the voice cast, although I would love to see the film actors reprise their roles. And they should absolutely revisit the film’s phenomenal soundtrack.
What do you think of a Scott Pilgrim anime series? Let us know in the comments!
(via The Hollywood Reporter, image: Universal Pictures)
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