Ever since the popularity of Suzanne Collins’ ‘The Hunger Games’ trilogy took the world by storm, Hollywood was determined to recreate its success with any story slightly resembling it. When the movie was released, some fans drew comparisons to the cult favorite 2000 Japanese film ‘Battle Royale’, which also involves “teenagers in a totalitarian state fighting for survival in a government-imposed competition”.
Previously, there were plans for a feature length remake of the film at New Line with producers Neal Moritz and Roy Lee behind it, but now, it appears that the folks at the CW are drawing ‘Hunger Games’ comparisons as well because they’re in talks to start development on a series based on Kinji Fukasaku’s movie, which is based on a novel by Koushun Takami.
According to The LA Times, the CW has been meeting with reps about acquiring the rights to Takami’s novel to develop it into an hour-long drama series. Joyce Jun, who represents the holders of the U.S. rights to the title, said that there is currently “no deal in place”, but talks are still preliminary. Another hurdle that the CW would have to overcome is attaining the approval of Takami in addition to getting the rights because according to Japanese law, the permission must be secured before any remake moves forward.
Considering the extreme violence in the original movie and in the novel, it’s hard to imagine such a thing as a TV show, let alone one on the CW. But on the other hand, if AMC can get away with ‘The Walking Dead’, then CW may be able to push the envelope to get a ‘Battle Royale’ series done properly.
How do you feel about ‘Battle Royale’ turning into a CW drama? Let’s hear your thoughts in the comments below!
