According to Variety, after acquiring the rights WB now has Dan Mazeau (Wrath of the Titans) penning the script.So far we have no clue as to how WB wants to approach this. Certainly the troubled development of 'Akira' by WB, which was close to being green-lit last year, but then halted at the last minute, isn't encouraging. Neither have WB's plans to limit the budget and westernize the locale and characters for Akira sat well with fans.
On the other hand, the live action adaptation of 'Speed Racer' by the Wachowski Brothers, did turn out excellently in my opinion; though it was harshly panned by critics and commercially flopped. But Bleach's world and cast of characters could be adapted to a Western setting with a diverse international cast if done smartly enough... But here's hoping that if this ever does go into full production, that it won't turn out as horribly off the mark as FOX's adaptation of Dragonball...
It is likely WB won't try and condense the entirety of Bleach into one movie, but perhaps are looking to tell the story over the course of several films and aim for a marketable franchise. They're going to need something to fill that gap Harry Potter left... Will Bleach have the potential to be it?
It is also interesting to note that Tite Kubo has revealed that Bleach (currently still ongoing in Japan) is now entering its final arc of the story. Though that 'final arc' could still run for a number of years for all we know at least it will be interesting to see how it all ends and seeing how all the mysteries Kubo has been teasing us with are finally revealed.
For anyone interested in 'Bleach', drop by our store to pick up volumes of the manga, as well as artbooks and other merchandise! For the original Variety story on Bleach, check out the link below:
