Justin Lin, known for his work with the Fast and Furious franchise, is set to direct the live-action movie adaptation of the beloved manga and anime series One-Punch Man. Lin had been preparing to direct Fast X, which would have been his sixth film in the billion-dollar series, but he left the project after production began due to creative differences. Now, the action director is heading in a much different direction.
One-Punch Man is a manga created in 2009 by ONE, a Japanese artist, as a webcomic, and it was published physically in 2012. It quickly became popular in Japan and spread around the world. The English edition was published in 2015, and the first and second volumes made the New York Times Manga Bestsellers list, as well as garnering an Eisner and a Harvey Award nomination. One-Punch Man follows Saitama, a superhero so strong he can defeat any enemy with just one punch. He seeks a worthy opponent as it has gotten boring to defeat unchallenging foes in his fight against evil. The manga has been turned into an acclaimed anime series already, and a video game, and now Saitama is getting his own live-action movie.
Lin, a noted action director, has been tapped to direct One-Punch Man for Sony Pictures, according to Deadline. Also on board the live-action adaptation are Venom writers Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner. The intention is to begin production before the end of the year.
Since Lin has a lot of experience directing action films, his involvement in One-Punch Man should make fans of the manga very hopeful. Despite mixed critical responses to several of his films, they have grossed hundreds of millions of dollars. With memorable fight sequences throughout, Lin's movies are entertaining and action-packed. Lin knows what to do with franchises, taking over directing for the third installment of the Star Trek reboot series, Star Trek Beyond, as well as his work in guiding the massive Fast and Furious franchise for five films. This experience will translate well into One-Punch Man's fight and action scenes as it possibly begins a franchise.
After Lin's departure from Fast X, Louis Leterrier stepped in to complete filming. Now, Lin has the chance to take a new franchise in his own direction, laying the groundwork for possible future films rather than taking over from other filmmakers for subsequent installments. It is a unique opportunity for Lin, and his skills are well-suited for the needs of a live-action adaptation of One-Punch Man.
Source: Deadline