Bleach to Whiten the Big Screen

In popular American mythology, the Grim Reaper - the black-robed figure with the long and sharpened scythe - has never exactly been a benevolent creature, arriving in darkness to take away the souls of the damned or simply to scare the bejeezus out of crotchety old men at Christmastime. So imagine my delight and surprise when I first encountered Bleach, the Japanese manga about a young boy who becomes the equivalent Soul Reaper, fighting off demons to protect humankind while ferrying the dead to their proper place in the afterlife.

A softer, gentler, but way more ass-kicking Reaper...

And now, according to the Heat Vision Blog, Warner Bros. is in the process of acquiring the rights to the series, nearly a decade old now in Japan. If it strikes you as at all familiar, that's because there's already been a cartoon adaptation, a few animated features and even a musical.

Director Peter Segal, best known for his work on comedies such as 50 First Dates and Get Smart, is looking to produce, but has not yet thrown in his hat to direct the project. According to THR, he's been looking to expand his portfoio with darker, more action-oriented fare. Maybe not the most logical first-choice for a stylized horror-action piece like Bleach, so we'll keep our fingers crossed as the project moves ahead...