A game co-written by DCU architect James Gunn is heading to the big screen, but is the director involved? James Gunn got his start working for Troma’s Lloyd Kaufman. His first writing credit was on the film Tromeo and Juliet, a low-budget, gore-filled interpretation of Shakespeare’s play. Warner Bros. then drafted him as a writer and producer on Scooby-Doo before he wrote his breakout reimagining of Dawn of the Dead for Zack Snyder. Those two projects highlight the filmmaker’s ability to write zombie horror, campy heroics, and over-the-top comedy. Gunn combined all of those things when he collaborated with developers to write a video game that became a cult hit and even garnered a remastered release. Long before Guardians of the Galaxy, the project offered an early glimpse of the strange tonal balancing act ahead. That cult hit is finally getting a big-screen adaptation. Competitive zombie-killing cheerleaders everywhere are rejoicing.
Deadline reports indicate Lollipop Chainsaw, Gunn’s collaboration with legendary Japanese game designer Goichi “Suda51” Suda, is being developed as an R-rated action comedy. The film will be a prequel, introducing Juliet Starling before the original game. Five independent production companies are coming together to make the movie with rights holder Dragami Games. No studio has been announced as a distributor. Most importantly to fans, though, James Gunn is not expected to be involved. Neither the movie nor the recently announced animated series has mentioned Gunn’s involvement. When Dragami announced the remaster Lollipop Chainsaw RePop, the director had to tamp down rumors of his participation in the remake. “I neither endorse nor condemn it! I simply don’t know anything about it. But as articles are starting to slap our names on there, I think it’s important to make clear no one ever approached us about it.”
Lollipop Chainsaw was released in 2012 on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360. Warner Bros. Interactive brought Gunn on board to collaborate with Suda51 and his development team. Gunn created the characters and dialogue for a story about the teenage member of a family of zombie hunters taking on ghouls attacking her school. And she carries around her boyfriend’s living head. Its Troma-style combination of chainsaws, cheerleading, rainbow gore, and juvenile humor made it a cross-genre cult hit. The game also gained online attention for another reason. Lollipop Chainsaw Cosplayer Jessica Nigri won IGN’s “Search for Juliet” contest and became the game’s official spokesmodel. Her revealing Juliet costumes caused a stir at PAX East when she was asked to change into something less revealing and was eventually asked to leave. The confrontation garnered plenty of media coverage, creating even more buzz for the game. The original would sell more than 1.5 million copies worldwide.
For its part, Dragami is attempting to establish the franchise across multiple formats. They released the remaster Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP in 2024. The company is also developing an animated series expected in 2027 along with the sequel game Lollipop Chainsaw 2 Back2Back. Producer Robert Franke says the newly announced prequel will preserve the original’s “attitude, irreverence, and glorious excess.” That promise comes without the two people who created the game’s tone, energy, and characters. Lollipop Chainsaw was a hit because it felt like a playable Troma movie. Can the prequel capture that feeling without James Gunn?
