Your Name quickly stole the hearts — and tears — of its audience when it was released last year. Now, J.J. Abrams and Paramount Pictures are developing a live-action adaptation.
It should come as no surprise, really, that both Paramount Pictures and J.J. Abrams have taken an interest in developing Your Name. The film was a sleeper hit and propelled mainstream discussion of animation outside of Hollywood back to the forefront.
I even declared it one of my favorite films of 2016.
For anyone who hasn’t seen Your Name, the story follows the disparate lives of two Japanese high-schoolers. Mitsuha, who performs duties as a shrine maiden in a small, rural town called Itamori, and Taki, who lives a fairly lively existence (by comparison) in Tokyo. The catch? They swap bodies when they fall asleep at night.
The sci-fi spin to the touching love story is something that has undoubtedly appealed to J.J. Abrams. Though, whether a remake is entirely necessary is another question all together.
Much like the concerns laid at the feet of similar, recent adaptations like Death Note and Ghost in the Shell, Japan and Japanese culture is an inherent part of telling this particular story. Should it be without it, it remains to be seen whether it’ll enjoy the success or poignancy of its animated counterpart.
J.J. Abrams will be working alongside Lindsey Weber and Genki Kawamura (Your Name) as a producer, with Eric Heisserer (Arrival writing the screenplay.
Per Variety, Kawamura, who produced the original film, said of the adaptation, “Mr. Abrams and his team have captivated audiences in their masterful reinvention of known properties. And Mitsuha and Taki have found a perfect narrator, Mr. Heisserer, to tell their sci-fi infused love story, which gave the film such drive. The meetings so far have been creatively stimulating with fantastic ideas that no doubt will make for a great movie. I am greatly honored to work with these incredible creators in bringing to audiences the Hollywood live-action version of ‘Your Name.’”