Gantz: Julius Avery to direct manga adaptation for Sony Pictures

Last year, Sony Pictures hired Marc Guggenheim to write the screenplay for an adaptation of the popular Japanese manga series Gantz, and now the project has taken another step forward, as Julius Avery has been hired to take the helm. Avery previously directed the crime thriller Son of a Gun (watch it HERE) and the World War II horror movie Overlord, which can be viewed at THIS LINK.

Although Guggenheim, who is best known for executive producing the DC Comics-inspired TV shows Arrow and Legends of Tomorrow, has been involved with the Gantz adaptation for a year and a half already, Deadline notes that the project is “in early development” and there’s no production start date yet.

Written and illustrated by Hiroya Oku, the Gantz manga centers on

Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, both of whom died in a train accident and become part of a semi-posthumous “game” in which they and several other recently deceased people are forced to hunt down and kill aliens armed to the teeth with all sorts of futuristic weapons and gadgets.

Avery’s film won’t be the first adaptation of the manga. Gantz has previously served as the basis for a two-season anime series, an anime feature called Gantz: O, and two live-action films directed by Shinsuke Sato; Gantz and Gantz: Perfect Answer.

The Sony adaptation is being produced by Temple Hill.

Avery is currently in post-production on the Sylvester Stallone superhero thriller Samaritan, which is scheduled to be released on August 26, 2022. He’s also attached to write and direct a Van Helsing movie for Universal Pictures and producer James Wan. Now we’ll have to wait and see which one goes into production first: Gantz or Van Helsing.

Are you a fan of Gantz? If so, would you be interested in seeing a live-action adaptation directed by Julius Avery? Let us know your thoughts on this project by leaving a comment below.