Juliet Starling is bringing her chainsaw to the big screen. Cult video game Lollipop Chainsaw is officially getting a live-action movie, with the gloriously over-the-top zombie slasher being developed as an R-rated action comedy.
Rather than directly adapting the 2012 game, the film will serve as a prequel. It follows Juliet, a San Romero High School cheerleader from a family of zombie hunters, as an undead outbreak forces her to put those skills to work while trying to save her friends, protect her family and keep boyfriend Nick alive.
Deadline broke the news, reporting that the project was unveiled at Tokyo Game Show and is moving ahead under licence from Dragami Games. The international production team includes Nada Holdings boss Joe Teng, former ZDF Studios drama chief Robert Franke and his Orange Chariot banner, Throne Inc managing director Takafumi Yuki, Ambitious Entertainment’s Kirk Shaw and Non Stop TV’s Patricio Rabuffetti.
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What Will the Lollipop Chainsaw Movie Be Like?
Dragami Games president Shohei Sato said the company is “truly excited” to see its vision moving forward with the franchise’s first live-action feature. He also welcomed the chance to work with an experienced international team that understands what makes Lollipop Chainsaw distinctive while still being willing to take the property somewhere new.
Franke went further on how the adaptation is approaching that balancing act. He said the intention is to remain true to the spirit of Lollipop Chainsaw while making a movie that can stand completely on its own.
Longtime fans, he said, should recognise “the attitude, irreverence, and glorious excess they love,” while newcomers won’t need any history with the game to enjoy the film as an action-horror comedy. Franke added that the ambition is to make something capable of entertaining audiences around the world, whether they’ve played Lollipop Chainsaw or not.
That tone will be pretty important. The original game, released for PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 in 2012, follows Juliet as she chainsaws her way through a zombie-infested school while carrying around the still-living severed head of Nick. Blood, rainbows, pom-poms and a very strange sense of humour are all part of the deal.
The game was developed by Grasshopper Manufacture under Goichi Suda, aka Suda51, with James Gunn among its writers years before Guardians of the Galaxy and his move to DC Studios. Neither Gunn nor Suda has been announced as being involved with the film.
Lollipop Chainsaw Is Making a Comeback
The movie comes amid a broader Lollipop Chainsaw revival. Dragami released the remaster Lollipop Chainsaw RePOP in 2024 and recently announced Lollipop Chainsaw 2 Back2Back, which is heading to PlayStation 5 in 2027. An anime project is also in development.
There’s still plenty missing from the movie side of things. No director or cast has been announced, and there’s no production start or release date yet. For now, one casting question looms particularly large: who’s getting Juliet’s chainsaw?
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