Dragami Games Announces Live-Action Lollipop Chainsaw Movie

A live-action film adaptation of Lollipop Chainsaw is officially in development, as confirmed by developer Dragami Games. The studio revealed plans to bring protagonist Juliet Starling to the big screen during Tokyo Game Show 2026, with additional details reported by Deadline. This project joins other previously announced expansions for the franchise, including an anime series and a video game sequel.

The movie will serve as a prequel, set before the events of the original 2012 action game from Grasshopper Manufacture. Described as an "R-rated action comedy," it will again center on Juliet. Deadline provided a brief synopsis: "When a catastrophic zombie outbreak engulfs her school, Juliet must fight her way through the undead to save her friends, protect her family, and somehow keep her boyfriend Nick close – even if doing so ultimately requires some highly unconventional arrangements."

The film is being developed by an international creative and production team, including Nada Holdings' Joe Teng, former ZDF Studios drama head Robert Franke, Throne Inc. MD Takafumi Yuki, Ambitious Entertainment's Kirk Shaw, and Non Stop TV's Patricio Rabuffetti. There is no indication that original team members like Suda51 or James Gunn (now co-CEO of DC Studios) are involved, suggesting they are not attached at this stage.

"We are truly excited to see our vision take another important step with the franchise's first live-action feature film," said Dragami president Shohei Sato. "We are especially pleased to be working with such an experienced and passionate international team — one that understands what makes Lollipop Chainsaw special while embracing the opportunity to create something new."

Lollipop Chainsaw has seen a resurgence after years out of the spotlight. Although it remained a cult classic and fan-favorite Suda51 game, it wasn't until Dragami announced the RePop remaster in 2022 that Juliet began to turn heads again. Whether this attempt to reanimate the franchise will succeed remains to be seen.

After RePop launched in 2024, Dragami announced plans for new installments. Earlier this week, Lollipop Chainsaw 2 Back2Back was revealed, with first gameplay showing a project that looks both familiar and drastically different, leaving fans uncertain if it can succeed without Suda51 or Gunn's involvement.

The movie announcement has elicited similar fan reactions. No cast or release date information has been revealed yet.

"We are making a film that feels unmistakably true to the spirit of Lollipop Chainsaw while standing completely on its own," Franke said. "Longtime fans will recognize the attitude, irreverence, and glorious excess they love, while newcomers can simply enjoy an unforgettable action-horror comedy. Our ambition is to create a film that entertains audiences everywhere, whether they've played the game or not."

It appears we'll have to wait while Dragami gears up for the Lollipop Chainsaw movie. In the meantime, you can read IGN's 5/10 review of the original game, where we said it "doesn't even attempt to differentiate itself from the genre, and most of what it does try new in the realm of its characters and writing ultimately ends up taking away from an incredible-on-paper action game. The music and sidekick are really all you can rely on to stay great from start to finish. The rest of Lollipop Chainsaw is all over the place before it ultimately settles for mediocrity and disappointment."