The 1999 novel and 2000 film, Battle Royale, is a cult classic and many fans are yearning for a remake. However, thanks to the recent release and extreme popularity of The Hunger Games, a film remake is looking less likely.
But, could a new television series be on the horizon?
The LA Times recently reported that the CW has been in recent discussion for adapting the novel into a one hour drama series on the network.
If they do decide they want to move forward with the project, they will need to gain the approval of Takami, which according to Japanese law must be secured before any remake can begin.
The CW argues that the television show could flourish much like the popular series, “The Vampire Diaries” found success despite the Twilight Saga dominating the film industry.
While the talks are only in the preliminary stages, the network (CW) would acquire the rights of Koushun Takami’s underlying novel, then unpack and expand on it for an hourlong dramatic series.
Producers Neal Moritz and Roy Lee had been working on a new film way before Suzanne Collins published her novel series, but the project stalled when New Line operations consolidated in 2008.
Then when The Hunger Games was released, the film remake was effectively killed.
Hopefully a television series can get off the ground. While it wont be ideal to fans who want a film reboot (we can also assume it will not be in anyway as gory and brutal as the film and novel) the TV series could be something to look forward to.
