Cells At Work’s Live-Action Movie Scores Big At The Box Office

For quite some time, the idea of creating live-action properties based on your favorite anime franchises was met with derision and skepticism. Multiple projects had been created that anime fans felt were unable to live up to their source material but recent years have seen the tide begin to turn. Netflix’s One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender have seen serious success but the streaming service isn’t the only platform that is giving fans major live-action anime projects. Warner Bros Japan has been doing the same with big properties and has recently seen serious success thanks to the movie focusing on the red and white blood cells, Cells At Work.

Cells At Work’s live-action movie was able to take the top spot at the box office in Japan for its opening weekend, showing that there is certainly an audience to see a new portrayal of these characters that sprang from the mind of creator Akane Shimizu. Over half a million theater-goers checked out the film this past weekend, earning it close to $5.5 million USD. Considering the competition it was up against, this is an especially impressive feat as Cells At Work overcame the likes of Moana 2, Kraven: The Hunter, and Attack On Titan: The Last Attack. At present, there has been no word regarding this live-action movie making its way to North America though we imagine that it will only be a matter of time before this new take on the Cells hits state-side.

[RELATED: Cells At Work Reveals Live-Action Movie Trailer]

The Work of The Cells

While a North American release date has yet to be confirmed for Cells At Work’s live-action outing, Warner Bros Japan has released a trailer and official description for the film. Here’s how the studio got fans hyped in Japan to hit theaters,

“The smallest protagonist in film history – a human cell! There are a staggering 37 trillion cells in the human body. Red blood cells that carry oxygen, white blood cells that fight bacteria, and countless other cells work tirelessly day and night to protect your health and life. High school student Niko (Mana Ashida) lives with her father, Shigeru (Sadao Abe). Because of Niko’s diligent nature and her healthy lifestyle, the cells inside her body are always working joyfully. Meanwhile, inside Shigeru’s body, the cells are always complaining, exhausted from the brutal working environment, as he leads an irregular and unhealthy life. On the outside they may look like a happy father and daughter, but on the inside their bodily environments couldn’t be more different. As their lively days go on, pathogens start to sneak up on their bodies… The most epic battle in the history of human cells, with the future of Niko and Shigeru at stake, is about to begin!”

WB’s Other Live-Action Anime Movies

Cells At Work is far from the only live-action anime movie that Warner Bros Japan has created in the past. As it stands, the studio is responsible for projects including, but not limited to, the Rurouni Kenshin film series, Fullmetal Alchemist, Bleach, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, Gintama, Death Note, and more. Thanks to the up-swing in live-action anime projects’ popularity, who knows what other franchises will receive their own live-action takes in the future.

Want to see what the future holds for the anime blood cells? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for the latest updates on Cells At Work and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.

Via Crunchyroll