One Punch Man Live-Action Film Coming From Rick And Morty Creator

One Punch Man was originally written as a web-comic by manga artist One in 2009 and later illustrated by Yusuke Murata in 2012. Since premiering online, the project, which centers on a superhero who is capable of defeating even his mightiest foes in a single swing, has received major critical acclaim and widespread audience appeal. The series received an animated adaptation in 2015, produced by Madhouse Inc, which has spanned two seasons and is currently on track for a third later this year.

In 2020, Sony Pictures acquired the rights to produce a live-action One Punch Man film from Japanese publishing company Shueisha and reportedly attached writing duo Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner to develop a script. Rosenberg and Pinkner are best known for their recent screenwriting credits on films such as Venom and Jumanji: The Next Level. While not much is known about the pair’s work on this One Punch Man project, Dan Harmon and Heather Anne Campbell have been tasked with staging a page-one rewrite, essentially re-launching the project from scratch.

Before signing on to write the One Punch Man film, Harmon held extensive credits in both the live-action and animated mediums. The 51-year-old writer created the hit NBC sitcom Community and recently returned to co-write the long-awaited reunion film for the beloved show. Harmon also created several animated ventures, including Rick and Morty alongside Justin Roiland, Apple TV+’s Strange Planet alongside Nathan Pyle, and the recent Fox original show Krapopolis.

Likewise, Heather Anne Campbell holds an extensive television resume, with writing credits such as Saturday Night Live, The Eric Andre Show, and the Jordan Peele-produced revival of The Twilight Zone. She has also worked closely with Harmon in the past, holding writing credits on three episodes of Rick and Morty and one episode of Krapopolis. If the combined writing credits of the duo are any indication of what we’ll be seeing in the One Punch Man live-action film, fans can rest assured that the movie will be jam-packed with laughs.

Reports from 2022 indicated that Fast & Furious filmmaker Justin Lin would be attached to direct the One Punch Man adaptation, though there have been no updates on this front since then. Regardless, Lin is listed as a producer on the film and is expected to work closely with Dan Harmon and Heather Anne Campbell as they construct the screenplay in the coming months. With the comedic writing of Rick and Morty, combined with the over-the-top action direction of the Fast & Furious saga, this One Punch Man feature film has the potential to be the greatest live-action manga adaptation ever made.