3 Nov – Sony Pictures is set to make a live-action adaptation of the popular Japanese manga series, "Gantz". The studio reportedly has hired Julius Avery ("Overlord", "Son of a Gun") to direct the upcoming project, with the script to be adapted by Marc Guggenheim of "Legends of Tomorrow" fame. Illustrated and written by Hiroya Oku, the series tells the story of Kei Kurono and Masaru Kato, who find themselves becoming a part of a game where they, alongside other recently deceased people, are forced to hunt down and kill aliens with the help of a large black sphere known as Gantz.
The series itself has spawned an anime TV series, two live-action films, as well as a CGI animated film, "Gantz:0", which is available on Netflix. This is not the first Japanese IP for Sony, as the studio recently concluded the production of "Bullet Train", based on the Japanese novel "Maria Beetle" by author Kotaro Isaka. The film stars Brad Pitt, Michael Shannon, and Sandra Bullock among the few. On the other hand, Avery himself is also involved in another high-profile property, "Van Helsing", which he will be writing and directing.