Live-action ‘Mega Man’ movie possibly in the works for Netflix - report
Capcom is reportedly making a live-action Mega Man movie that will stream on Netflix.
Rumors of a live-action Mega Man movie have been brewing between Capcom and Chernin Entertainment for at least three years, with the directors attached to the project recently confirming that the film is in the works.
The upcoming Mega Man movie will be written and directed by Henry Joost and Ariel Schulman, the duo behind films Catfish and Nerve.
A "Live-Action" Mega Man Movie Could Be On The Way To Netflix https://t.co/IaqHHrMbIM #Netflix #MegaMan #Capcom pic.twitter.com/ccsUSfEH6z
— Nintendo Life (@nintendolife) December 3, 2021
New York City-based production company Supermarché, which is helmed by Mega Man co-directors Joost and Schulman, states in its bio page that: "Features in the works include: an adaptation of Capcom's MEGA MAN for Chernin Entertainment and Netflix, which they wrote and are directing."
The series will be produced by Chernin Entertainment, the producers of the Planet of the Apes series, with actor Masi Oka (Hiro from Heroes) attached as a co-producer according to initial reports in 2018.
The main character of Mega Man—also known as Rockman in Japan and the rest of Asia—first debuted along a series of other robot characters in the Mega Man action game first released for the Nintendo Entertainment system (Family Computer in Asia) in 1987.
The game became so popular, that derived productions were also created such as Mega Man "X", "Dash", "Zero", "Battle Network", "Star Force", "ZX" over the next three decades, resulting in over 130 titles.
The latest game in the mainline original series, Mega Man 11, was released worldwide for Microsoft Windows, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4 and Xbox One in October 2018. The game notably brings back several features such as voice acting and a nostalgic 2.5D graphic style from previous games throughout the Mega Man franchise.
As previously reported by Polygon, Capcom said it “aims to appeal to a diverse audience, including not only game players but action movie fans as well, with an adaptation that maintains the world of the Mega Man games, while incorporating the grand production and entertainment value that Hollywood movies are known for.”
Capcom’s Mega Man movie joins other in-development projects based on characters that made their debut on Nintendo systems, including Legendary’s Detective Pikachu and Illumination’s animated Mario movie.
There’s no word regarding any filming details or possible release date, and Mega Man was not included in Netflix's 2022 sci-fi, fantasy, horror slate, which could mean that fans will have to wait until 2023 at the earliest to see it on the small screen.
Capcom is set to celebrate Mega Man’s 35th anniversary in 2022. Earlier this year, Capcom Japan started actively looking for licensing partners to produce special products and events to celebrate the iconic blue mascot.