Sony ramps up search for anime to adapt into live-action films

Sony Pictures International Productions is ramping up its search for anime and manga properties to adapt into live-action films, with Executive Vice President Shebnem Askin announcing the ambitious expansion during a presentation at TIFFCOM on October 30, 2025comicbook.
The push comes as anime films experience unprecedented box office success, with Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle becoming the highest-grossing international film ever in North America at $128.6 million and Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc earning $23.4 million in the U.S. after topping domestic charts for a full weekcomicbook.
Sony currently has the Kingdom franchise as its main live-action manga adaptation, but Askin stated the studio is taking meetings with companies producing anime content to find new properties suitable for worldwide adaptationcomicbook.
The studio operates across ten countries and employs a systematic greenlighting process that requires creative approval and profit-and-loss projections from local managing directors, with projects needing at least five signatures to move forwarddeadline.
Askin emphasized that Sony remains focused on theatrical releases even as anime dominates the market, stating “we are a theatrical studio, so our number one mission is to make theatrical movies”comicbook.

Sony Accelerates Pursuit of Anime Live-Action Adaptations

Sony Pictures International Productions is ramping up its search for anime and manga properties to adapt into live-action films, signaling a major strategic shift as the medium dominates global box offices.

Shebnem Askin, executive vice president of creative production and head of Sony Pictures International Productions, revealed the ambitious expansion during a presentation at TIFFCOM on October 30, 2025. “Since I came here, I’m taking so many great meetings with a lot of companies that are producing incredible stories with anime,” Askin told attendees at the Tokyo content market. “We are starting to look at different anime movies where we can hopefully adapt as live action movies around the world.”comicbook

Riding the Anime Wave

The announcement comes as anime films are experiencing unprecedented success at the box office. Demon Slayer: Infinity Castle became the highest-grossing international film ever in North America, earning $128.6 million and breaking the long-standing record held by Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon. Meanwhile, Chainsaw Man – The Movie: Reze Arc topped the U.S. box office for its opening weekend with $18 million domestically and has crossed $100 million worldwide.collider

“The latter half of 2025 has taken an unexpected turn for the US box office as big Hollywood films are falling behind while anime movies continue to take the lead,” industry observers noted. Japan’s animation industry grew 15% to a record $25 billion in 2024, with overseas sales driving much of the growth.koimoi

Beyond Kingdom

Currently, Sony’s only major live-action manga adaptation is the Kingdom franchise, based on the popular Japanese manga series. However, Askin emphasized the studio’s commitment to expanding this portfolio as part of Sony Pictures International Productions’ broader strategy across ten countries including Japan, Korea, China, India, France, Germany, Spain, Italy, Brazil, and Mexico.deadline

The studio employs a systematic greenlighting process requiring creative approval and profit-and-loss projections. “If we are passionate about a creative idea, we prepare the P&L by obtaining theatrical projections from our local managing director,” Askin explained. Projects need at least five approvals before moving forward.deadline

Sony’s anime push reflects the medium’s global appeal and commercial viability, as local productions continue to outperform major Hollywood releases in key international markets.comicbook