Director Ronny Yu (FREDDY VS. JASON) has optioned rights to the anime movie BLOOD: THE LAST VAMPIRE for a live-action feature, according to SCI FI WIRE. The original 2000 movie directed by Hiroyuki Kitakubo concerns a vampire hunter on a military base.
Yu insists he will cast a Japanese actress to play the lead role of a samurai-wielding teenager that never ages and wears a high school uniform. Since the story takes place right after World War II, it will obviously have a completely different look and feel from BUFFY THE VAMPIRE SLAYER. Yu will also expand the original premise to a feature length (BLOOD was only 48 minutes long, which disqualified it from Academy Award consideration in the animated feature category). To flesh it out, Yu will concentrate on her origins and other background information.
Bill Desowitz, former editor of VFXWorld, is currently the Crafts Editor of IndieWire.
