Variety is reporting that Warner Bros. has acquired the rights to “Ninja Scroll”, the Japanese action anime, and are planning a live-action big-screen adaptation. The studio has tapped Alex Tse to write the script.

Tse’s previously worked on “Watchmen”, as well as the upcoming adaptation of the Ray Bradbury novel “The Illustrated Man” and “Frankie Machine”, which is based on Don Winslow’s book “The Winter of Frankie Machine”. The movie will be produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s company Appian Way alongside Mad House, and will be produced by Jennifer Davisson Killoran and Mike Ireland. The original anime, lauded for its depictions of ninja and classic Japanese folklore, was also notable for the controversy surrounding its release over objectionable content, which lead to the UK releases being extremely censored.

The original “Ninja Scroll” anime movie was released in 1993 by Manga Entertainment in the US, and was based on the “Ninpōchō” ninja adventure novels by Futaro Yamada. It was directed by Yoshiaki Wakajiri, and told the story of the lone ninja Jubei Kibagami, teaming up with a mysterious poisonous female ninja and a wily old assassin monk to fight a former comrade and deal with a conspiracy, demonic ninjas, and a poisonous plague that threaten all of Japan. Jubei is actually meant to be an homage to YagyÅ« JÅ«bei, a famous Japanese samurai and folk hero.

Stay tuned to Toxic Shock TV for Ninja Scroll news and more.

By Costa Koutsoutis, (Source: Variety.com)