Warner Brothers is already in the business of adapting Japanese manga into live-action feature films having acquired the rights to Katsuhiro Otomo’s cherished Akira, and possibly even hiring the Hughes Brothers to direct (Read: The Hughes Brothers To Direct Two-Part Live-Action “˜Akira’ Movie). But the studio isn’t stopping there; it’s being reported that WB is currently working to obtain the rights to Bleach.

The manga, which is written and illustrated by Tite Kubo, revolves around a teenage boy named Ichigo Kurosaki who can see ghosts and one day accidentally obtains the abilities of a Soul Reaper (the Japanese personification of death, much like the Grim Reaper). With these new found abilities — similar to our own superhero stories — he must learn how to use them, protect the innocent from evil spirits known as Hollows, and guide spirits safely to the other side.

If you’re not familiar with the manga, then you’ve probably still seen Bleach in episodic TV fashion. The series airs often on Cartoon Network’s Adult Swim in the darkness hours.

Peter Segal and Michael Ewing will produce the title along with Viz Media, who released the books in English in the United States. Segal has directed quite a few well-known movies in the completely opposite comedy genre, such as Tommy Boy, Adam Sandler’s Anger Management, 50 First Dates, and The Longest Yard, as well as the recent Steve Carell remake of Get Smart. Segal will not be directing this film, however, he is simply producing.

In keeping up with Warner Bros., DreamWorks also has a live-action manga adaptation of Ghost in the Shell currently in the works.

[Source: Heat Vision]