Live-action anime adaptations are big-ticket items in the entertainment world these days. With Netflix garnering big success with the likes of One Piece and Avatar: The Last Airbender, Japan is releasing new movies to breathe life into classic anime franchises. Cells At Work, for example, does not currently have an anime series that is documenting the lives of the White and Red Blood Cells but this didn’t stop Warner Bros. Japan from returning to the microscopic battlefield. Even though the manga has also come to an end, Cells At Work creator Akane Shimizu has released new art to get fans back onto the hype train.
When it comes to Cells At Work’s live-action success, the movie has earned over $40 million USD in Japan alone since it hit theaters in December of last year. At present, the Warner Bros. Japan production has yet to confirm if the movie will receive a North American release, though we imagine its success will see it hit the West in some form or fashion down the line. Not every movie that hits theaters in Japan will do the same in North America, though hitting home video for a hit like Cells At Work would make perfect sense.
[RELATED: Cell’s At Work’s Live-Action Anime Adaptation is Shattering Records At The Box Office]
A Gift For Cell Fans
Akane Shimizu first breathed life into the series in 2015, ending it in 2021 with a special one-shot that saw the cells battling against COVID-19 as a way to spread awareness to anime fans. Even though the main Cells At Work series ended, a handful of spin-off series have continued to help expand on this universe in some hilarious ways. Cells At Work: Muscle, Cells At Work: Cat, and Cells At Work: Medicine continues to release new chapters to this day, even without Shimizu at the helm.
To help promote the wild success of the live-action film, Shimizu shared new art along with a message to the fans. Here’s what Akane had to say, “I’m very happy that so many people enjoyed the movie Cells at Work! I’d like to express my sincere gratitude to everyone who has supported me!”
#映画はたらく細胞
⋱興収6⃣2⃣億円突破
⋰
原作者・清水茜先生(@yellow_flame_)から、赤血球・白血球・血小板揃い踏みの描き下ろしイラスト到着
「映画はたらく細胞が多くの方に楽しんでいただけて、とても嬉しいです！応援してくださる皆様に心から感謝申し上げます！」… pic.twitter.com/28rc9lA9fC
— 映画『はたらく細胞』公式 (@saibou_movie) February 27, 2025
Live-Action Anime Future
As of the writing of this article, Netflix is working on the second season of the live-action One Piece and the next two seasons of Avatar: The Last Airbender. These two streaming entries are far from the only projects that are adding some wild new flair to the anime world, as live-action projects for Mobile Suit Gundam, My Hero Academia, Naruto, and more are in the works. While live-action anime properties have been surrounded by controversy for quite some time, as many anime fans felt they were unable to live up to their respective source material, recent examples have helped to forge new ground for the projects.
Want to see what the future holds for the live-action adaptation and the other works in this medium? Follow along with Team Anime on ComicBook.com for all the latest updates on Cells At Work and hit me up directly @EVComedy to talk all things comics and anime.
The post Cells At Work Creator Celebrates Live-Action Adaptation’s Success With Gift For Fans appeared first on ComicBook.com.
