A live-action Lollipop Chainsaw movie is officially in the works, developer Dragami Games has announced.
The studio behind the series revival announced plans to bring Juliet Starling to the big screen as part of Tokyo Game Show 2026, with full details shared by Deadline. It’s yet another addition to the series as Dragami moves ahead with other previously announced installments, including an anime series and video game sequel.
The Lollipop Chainsaw movie will tell a prequel story set before the events of developer Grasshopper Manufacture’s original bubblegum action game. It’s also aimed to be an “R-rated action comedy” and will, once again, follow Juliet as the main character. Deadline also shared a brief story synopsis: “When a catastrophic zombie outbreak engulfs her school, Juliet must fight her way through the undead to save her friends, protect her family, and somehow keep her boyfriend Nick close – even if doing so ultimately requires some highly unconventional arrangements.”
Dragami’s film is said to be in development from an “international creative and production team” that includes Nada Holdings’ Joe Teng, former ZDF Studios drama boss Robert Franke, Throne Inc MD Takafumi Yuki, Ambitious Entertainment’s Kirk Shaw, and Non Stop TV’s Patricio Rabuffetti. There is no word on whether original team members like Suda51 or now-DC Studios co-CEO James Gunn are involved, suggesting that, at least at this stage, they aren’t attached in any capacity.
“We are truly excited to see our vision take another important step with the franchise’s first live-action feature film,” Dragami president Shohei Sato said. “We are especially pleased to be working with such an experienced and passionate international team — one that understands what makes Lollipop Chainsaw special while embracing the opportunity to create something new.”
Lollipop Chainsaw has been on a bit of a tear despite largely straying from the public eye for the last decade or so. Although it’s firmly kept its place as a cult classic and fan-favorite Suda51 game, it wasn’t until Dragami announced its RePop remaster in 2022 that Juliet started to turn heads once again. Whether an attempt to reanimate the franchise will succeed remains to be seen, though.
After RePop finally launched in 2024, Dragami announced plans to continue the series with new installments in the near future. The most recent peek at what exactly that entails actually arrived earlier this week with the reveal of Lollipop Chainsaw 2 Back2Back. First gameplay has revealed a project that looks both familiar and extremely different, leaving fans hesitant to see can stick the landing without Suda51 or Gunn’s help.
The announcement that a Lollipop Chainsaw movie has encouraged similar responses from fans. For now, no information about the project’s cast or release date has been revealed.
“We are making a film that feels unmistakably true to the spirit of Lollipop Chainsaw while standing completely on its own,” Franke said. “Longtime fans will recognize the attitude, irreverence, and glorious excess they love, while newcomers can simply enjoy an unforgettable action-horror comedy. Our ambition is to create a film that entertains audiences everywhere, whether they’ve played the game or not.”
It looks like we’ve got some waiting to do while Dragami revs up its Lollipop Chainsaw movie. Until then, you can read IGN’s 5/10 review for the original game, where we said it “doesn’t even attempt to differentiate itself from the genre, and most of what it does try new in the realm of its characters and writing ultimately ends up taking away from an incredible-on-paper action game.
“The music and sidekick are really all you can rely on to stay great from start to finish. The rest of Lollipop Chainsaw is all over the place before it ultimately settles for mediocrity and disappointment.”
Michael Cripe
Freelance Writer
Michael Cripe is a freelance writer with IGN. He’s best known for his work at sites like The Pitch, The Escapist, and OnlySP. Be sure to give him a follow on Bluesky (@mikecripe.bsky.social) and Twitter (@MikeCripe).