News Reporting

Skydance To Produce Live-Action “Sword Art Online” TV series, VR Experience

Written By Samantha Ferreira

Before we get rolling, let’s get the popular wisecracks out of the way first, shall we?

1: May this dumpster fire never stop burning!

Dumpster Fire Gif 001 - 20160802

2: People watch it for the plot, I swear!

Sword Art Online Plot Meme 001 - 20160802

3: Now a whole new generation can be scarred by Glop Glop!

Have we covered the bases? Good! Let’s get rolling.

Sword Art Online Visual 001 - 20160222Earlier today, Skydance Media announced that they acquired the global live-action rights to Sword Art Online. The company is working on a TV series based on the popular property, which will feature a pilot penned by Laeta Kalogridis (Avatar, Shutter Island).

Kalogridis will also serve as an executive producer on the project, along with David Ellison, Dana Goldberg and Marcy Ross.

Skydance describes the Sword Art Online TV series as:

The all-new Skydance Television series will follow a brilliant young beta tester Kirito and his group of friends when they are trapped – alongside 10,000 other people – in a next-generation virtual reality online role-playing game. The game is a world unto itself: filled with sword fighting, monsters and mystery, where the stakes are life and death. Kirito and an ensemble of diverse characters must fight their way through this hostile environment while making lives for themselves in the fantastical world that is Sword Art Online.

Skydance is also working on a Sword Art Online virtual reality experience, which will be released after the series debuts.

Series creator Reki Kawahara commented on the project, stating:

I am excited and moved that Sword Art Online will be adapted into a live action series by the highly respected Skydance Media, […] I would like to take this opportunity to express my appreciation and gratitude to everyone involved in this project, and to the fans all over the world who have so generously and enthusiastically supported SAO.

Laeta Kalogridis also commented on the series:

For years I have been inspired by the inventive and masterful storytelling of the SAO franchise […] I’m thrilled to get the opportunity to work with such talented partners to bring this cutting-edge yet timeless story to a new format at Skydance.

Aniplex of America currently holds the rights to the Sword Art Online anime series in North America, as well as sequel Sword Art Online II and the Sword Art Online EXTRA EDITION theatrical film.

Source: BusinessWire

Filed Under:

Tag(s): , , ,

About the author

Samantha Ferreira

Samantha Ferreira is Anime Herald’s founder and editor-in-chief. A Rhode Island native, Samantha has been an anime fan since 1992, and an active member of the anime press since 2002, when she began working as a reviewer for Anime Dream. She launched Anime Herald in 2010, and continues to oversee its operations to this day. Outside of journalism, Samantha actively studies the history of the North American anime fandom and industry, with a particular focus on the 2000s anime boom and bust. She’s a huge fan of all things Sakura Wars, and maintains series fansite Combat Revue Review when she has free time available. When not in the Anime Herald Discord, Samantha can typically be found on Bluesky.

Anime Herald

Support Anime Herald

Anime Herald is brought to you through our Patrons and Ko-fi supporters. Consider backing us for as little as $1 a month to help us keep the site ad-free and pay a fair rate to our writers.

Patrons and backers can access several benefits, including Early Article Access, our members-only Discord, and the ability to suggest articles for our team to write on your behalf.

Become a Patron
Support us on Ko-Fi

Latest Posts

See all Articles