LW Entertainment (formerly Really Useful Group) will be adapting Andrew Lloyd Webber’s hit musical Phantom of the Opera into an anime series. Justin Leach of Qubic Pictures, former co-executive producer on Star Wars: Visions and showrunner on Netflix’s Eden and Leviathan, has been tapped to lead the project.
Leach shared, “I’m incredibly excited to join forces with the talented team at LW Entertainment to bring the Phantom of the Opera to life through anime. This project is a rare opportunity to unite the grandeur of musical theater with the artistry of Japanese animation — two beloved traditions that have touched audiences around the world. Our goal is to create a timeless and emotionally resonant experience that speaks to a global audience and honors the legacy of this iconic story.”
The Phantom of the Opera musical is itself an adaptation of a 1909 novel by Gaston Leroux. The musical, which premiered in 1986, is known as the longest-running show in Broadway history, having celebrated its 1,000th performance on 11 February 2012. It was previously adapted to film in 2004 by Joel Schumacher, starring Gerard Butler and Emily Rossum in the lead roles.
The story follows a young opera singer named Christine Daaé, who rises to stardom under the mentorship of the Phantom, a mysterious masked figure living below her theater. As the story progresses, Christine becomes torn between her fear of the increasingly murderous Phantom and her feelings for Raoul, her childhood best friend and love interest.
