Skydance Television has announced that they are producing a live-action adaptation of Reki Kawahara’s Sword Art Online light novels. The independent production received global live-action rights to the series through a partnership with Kadokawa Corporation.
Laeta Kalogridis (co-screenwriter of Terminator Genisys and executive producer for Avatar) will pen the script and will executive produce the series. David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross will also act as executive producers.
Along with the potential live-action series, Skydance is planning to launch an SAO virtual reality experience.
Kalogridis said the following about the Sword Art Online series:
“For years I have been inspired by the inventive and masterful storytelling of the SAO franchise, I’m thrilled to get the opportunity to work with such talented partners to bring this cutting-edge yet timeless story to a new format at Skydance.”
Sam Ellison, the CEO of Skydance Media, called SAO a “massive pop-culture phenomenon” and plans to launch “a full-scale and wide-ranging set of live-action franchise extensions across our business verticals, beginning with television.”
Sword Art Online is a light novel series written by Reki Kawahara and illustrated by abec. It is published by ASCII Media Works under their Dengeki Bunko imprint. The light novel currently has 17 volumes in print with and 18th one releasing soon.
The series has been adapted into two popular TV anime series as well as multiple video games. An original anime film is also in development for the series.
Yen Press has licensed the light novel for release in North America while Aniplex of America has licensed the two anime series for release in North America.
Are you excited for this live-action adaptation?
