Lollipop Chainsaw franchise expands with live-action film and sequel

At the Tokyo Game Show, Dragami Games announced a major expansion of the Lollipop Chainsaw franchise, including a live-action feature film, an animated series, and a video game sequel.

The upcoming live-action film is being developed as an R-rated action-comedy prequel, set before the events of the original 2012 game. It will follow protagonist Juliet Starling, a cheerleader from a family of zombie hunters, during a catastrophic outbreak at her high school. The project involves an international production team including Robert Franke of Orange Chariot, Joe Teng of Nada Holdings, and others. While the original game was co-written by James Gunn, there is currently no confirmation of his involvement in the film.

In addition to the film, the franchise is expanding through other media. A new video game, Lollipop Chainsaw 2: Back2Back, was showcased with gameplay footage and is scheduled for a 2027 release on PlayStation 5. An animated series is also in development as part of a strategy to build globally recognized entertainment franchises originating from Asia.