Live-Action ‘My Hero Academia’ Film Heading To Netflix, Will Feature Screenplay From ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ Showrunner Joby Harold

Spencer Baculi |

Dec 12, 2022

Deku prepares to unleash his true power in My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission (2021), Bones via Blu-ray

In a development that has historically sounded the death knell for live-action adaptations of Japanese properties, Netflix has acquired the streaming rights to Legendary Entertainment’s upcoming take on Kohei Horikoshi’s My Hero Academia.

The cast of My Hero Academia in Kohei Horikoshi's color spread to Ch 359 'Place of Learning" (2022), Shueisha via digital issue

First announced by Variety on December 12th, Netflix’s purchase of the upcoming film will see Hollywood’s take on Deku, Bakugo, and All-Might skip theaters and premiere exclusively on the streaming service (though the film will still receive a theatrical run in Japan courtesy of Toho Co. Ltd.).

Deku leaps into action in My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission (2021), Bones via Blu-ray

Alongside this distribution update, it was also revealed that the film’s screenplay will be penned by writer Joby Harold, who most recently rewrote Kathleen Kennedy’s initial Obi-Wan Kenobi scripts and served as the Disney Plus series’ showrunner.

In addition to overseeing the canon-breaking adventures of the Jedi Master, Harold’s credits also include stints as co-writing the stories for such productions as Warner Bros. Discovery’s upcoming The Flash, Universal Pictures’ upcoming Transformers: Rise of the Beasts, and Netflix’s previous collaboration with Zack Snyder, Army of the Dead.

Uravity does her best to keep damage in Paris to a minimum in My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission (2021), Bones via Blu-ray

Notably, Harold planned work on the My Hero Academia film will mark his second team-up with Legendary Entertainment, as the writer is also currently serving as an executive producer on the studio’s upcoming Godzilla and the Titans series for Apple TV+.

Harold’s script will in turn be brought to life, as previously announced, by storied Japanese director Shinsuke Sato.

Endeavor and Burnin take in the current status of the Otheon Team in My Hero Academia: World Heroes' Mission (2021), Bones via Blu-ray

Best known for having directed a myriad of live-action manga adaptations for Japanese audiences, including I Am A Hero, Inuyashiki, Kingdom, Gantz, and Death Note, Sato’s work tackling Horikoshi’s popular shonen manga will mark his official English-language debut.

Overseeing Harold and Sato’s work will be producers Alex Garcia (Krampus) and Mary Parent (Pacific Rim) – the latter apparently replacing formerly attached producer Jay Ashenfelter (Godzilla vs. Kong) – alongside Ryosuke Yoritomi, a representative for My Hero Academia‘s publisher Shueisha.