City Hunter live-action adaptation is coming to Netflix

While earlier, James Cameron and Robert Rodriguez jokingly made a blood oath to make a sequel to their adaptation of the popular manga Alita: Battle Angel, now it looks as if another manga adaptation is coming to the small screen with a live-action City Hunter film currently in the works. Previously the pulp Japanese comic was adapted to live-action in the broad comedic action film 1993’s City Hunter, with international action star Jackie Chan in the lead role.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, Netflix will be adapting the comic into a new feature film, describing it as, “a modern-day updated version of the manga, set in the bustling streets of Shinjuku.” The logline reads, “When Ryo’s partner Makimura is killed, he and Makimura’s sister Kaori team up to find out the truth, thus forming a new duo.”

Ryohei Suzuki signed on to play Ryu and has stated that the project will “aim to strike the right balance between realism and fantasy, as well as tones from the ’80s and today.” The actor, additionally, has said he feels a great deal of pressure portraying the character that has been a staple in Japanese pop culture. “I am thrilled to be playing Ryo Saeba and feel a great deal of responsibility to portray this beloved, legendary character created by Tsukasa Hojo. I cannot wait for both existing fans as well as newcomers around the world to fall in love with Ryo Saeba and his fun, action-packed adventures around modern-day Tokyo.”

The manga property was adapted again with a television series as a drama in 2011. The comic was created by Tsukasa Hojo and became a pop culture phenomenon in Japan during the 1980s and sold over 500 million copies around the world. Netflix is looking to boost its Japanese slate with this film. American viewers may notice an uptick in foreign movies and television shows on the streaming service as it has become a very lucrative section for the platform with content such as Squid Game and overseas flicks like the infamous RRR.

The streaming platform aims to release the film sometime in 2024.