Lollipop Chainsaw Live-Action Movie in Development at Dragami Games
Dragami Games has announced a live-action Lollipop Chainsaw film, a prequel to the original game, with an international production team and an R-rated action-comedy approach.
Dragami Games is developing a live-action film based on Lollipop Chainsaw, the studio announced during Tokyo Game Show 2026. The movie will serve as a prequel to the original 2012 action game, following cheerleader and zombie hunter Juliet Starling before the events of the Grasshopper Manufacture title.
The project is being positioned as an R-rated action comedy and will once again center on Juliet as the main character. According to a synopsis shared with Deadline, the story begins when a catastrophic zombie outbreak engulfs her school. Juliet must fight through the undead to save her friends, protect her family, and keep her boyfriend Nick close, even if that ultimately requires some highly unconventional arrangements.
An international creative and production team is attached to the film. The group includes Nada Holdings' Joe Teng, former ZDF Studios drama boss Robert Franke, Throne Inc. managing director Takafumi Yuki, Ambitious Entertainment's Kirk Shaw, and Non Stop TV's Patricio Rabuffetti. There is no indication that original Lollipop Chainsaw creator Suda51 or James Gunn, who wrote the original game and now serves as co-CEO of DC Studios, are involved in the project at this stage.
Dragami president Shohei Sato said the company is excited to see its vision take another important step with the franchise's first live-action feature film. He added that the studio is especially pleased to work with an experienced and passionate international team that understands what makes Lollipop Chainsaw special while embracing the opportunity to create something new.
Robert Franke echoed that sentiment, saying the team is making a film that feels unmistakably true to the spirit of Lollipop Chainsaw while standing completely on its own. He noted that longtime fans will recognize the attitude, irreverence, and glorious excess they love, while newcomers can simply enjoy an action-horror comedy. The ambition, he said, is to create a film that entertains audiences everywhere, whether they have played the game or not.
The movie is the latest addition to a broader revival of the Lollipop Chainsaw franchise. Dragami announced a remaster called Lollipop Chainsaw RePop in 2022, and the game finally launched in 2024. After that release, the studio revealed plans to continue the series with new installments. Earlier this week, Dragami offered the first look at Lollipop Chainsaw 2 Back2Back, a sequel project whose initial gameplay footage drew mixed reactions from fans who questioned whether the series can succeed without Suda51 or Gunn's involvement.
The live-action film announcement has prompted similar responses. Some fans have expressed hesitation about how the project will capture the original game's distinctive tone without its original creative leads. No information about the film's cast or release date has been revealed.
Lollipop Chainsaw originally launched in 2012 and developed a cult following despite mixed critical reception. The game combined hack-and-slash combat with irreverent humor and a cheerleader protagonist who battles zombies with a chainsaw. It remained largely out of the public eye for about a decade before Dragami began revisiting the property.
Whether the attempt to reanimate the franchise will succeed remains to be seen. The live-action movie joins the anime series and video game sequel already announced by Dragami, forming a multi-pronged expansion of the series. For now, fans will have to wait for further details as the film moves through development.
