VIZ Media has partnered with The Gotham Group to develop film and television adaptations of its original intellectual properties, including the RWBY franchise and VIZ Originals graphic novels.

The press release follows:

Media Release – VIZ Media, a leading global producer of anime, manga and original graphic novels, has signed a strategic partnership with The Gotham Group to develop film and television adaptations based on its growing portfolio of original intellectual property, including its acclaimed VIZ Originals graphic novel line and the globally recognized RWBY franchise.

The collaboration marks a significant expansion of VIZ Media’s entertainment business, bringing its creator-driven stories to the screen through one of Hollywood’s leading production and management companies. VIZ is the #1 destination for manga in America and home to some of the most prestigious anime brands driving the industry, including One Piece, Demon Slayer, Naruto, and Jujutsu Kaisen.

Under the agreement, The Gotham Group—whose credits include Percy Jackson and the Olympians, The Search for WondLa, Washington Black, the Maze Runner franchise and the Bruce Springsteen feature Springsteen: Deliver Me From Nowhere—will identify and package projects drawn from VIZ Media’s expanding library of original IP.

At the heart of the collaboration is RWBY, the landmark animated franchise created by the late Monty Oum. Since its debut in 2013, RWBY has become one of the world’s most successful independently created animation properties, amassing more than 350 million views globally while expanding into publishing, video games, consumer products and multiple spinoffs, including RWBY: Ice Queendom and two Justice League x RWBY animated crossover films.

Widely recognized as the first anime series produced in the United States—and the first Western-produced anime to be dubbed and distributed in Japan—RWBY helped pave the way for a new generation of globally developed anime-inspired storytelling.

“From the beginning, our vision for RWBY has been to build a global franchise that connects with fans across every medium,” said Brad Woods, President and CEO VIZ Media. “With Volume 10 officially underway, we’re excited to take the next step by partnering with The Gotham Group to develop RWBY, alongside our growing portfolio of original graphic novels, for film and television. Together, we look forward to bringing these stories to new audiences around the world.”

“We are thrilled to be working with the iconic VIZ on RWBY and beyond,” said The Gotham Group’s Founder & CEO Ellen Goldsmith-Vein. Its titles have captivated audiences for decades and VIZ has been instrumental in bringing the global phenomena of manga and anime to the US. The RWBY franchise is one of the most prolific out there and we’re excited to be a part of bringing new stories to life.”

The deal also includes VIZ Originals, VIZ Media’s original manga imprint. Featuring works from acclaimed creators Rem & Bikkuri (Devil’s Candy), bestselling author Rainbow Rowell (Fangirl), best-selling Eisner nominee Sam Sattin (Lynx), and globally renowned artist Acky Bright (Galaxic Baseball League) among many others, VIZ Originals continues to champion the next generation of international storytellers shaping the future of manga.

About RWBY:

In a world filled with horrific monsters bent on death and destruction, humanity’s hope lies with powerful Huntsmen and Huntresses. Ruby Rose, Weiss Schnee, Blake Belladonna and Yang Xiao Long are four Huntresses in training whose journeys will take them far beyond the halls of Beacon Academy. Together, they must overcome powerful enemies and protect the world of Remnant.

Created in 2013 by the late animator and writer Monty Oum, RWBY became the first anime series produced in the United States and the first Western-produced anime to be dubbed and distributed in Japan. The franchise has since expanded across publishing, video games, consumer products and animated spinoffs including RWBY Chibi, RWBY: Ice Queendom and two crossover films with DC’s Justice League.

About VIZ Originals:

VIZ Originals delivers manga-inspired graphic novels as well as manga adaptations of existing pop-culture success stories from books, TV, and film.

At VIZ, we are thrilled to publish exciting new work by both debut and experienced creators, bringing legendary characters to life and nurturing the storytellers of today.

About The Gotham Group

The Gotham Group is a global entertainment company based in Los Angeles producing film and television projects that span genres and platforms. Springsteen: Deliver Me from Nowhere, written and directed by Scott Cooper (Crazy Heart) chronicled the making of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Nebraska’ album and premiered at the prestigious New York Film Festival before its 2025release from 20th Century Studios. Other credits include the multi-Emmy®-nominated hit series Percy Jackson and the Olympians; the Apple TV+ and Skydance Animation series The Search for WondLa; the limited series Washington Black on Hulu; the billion-dollar Maze Runner film franchise, and the Stargirl franchise for Disney+, based on Jerry Spinelli’s beloved YA novels. The Gotham Group shepherded the script for Clint Eastwood’s Juror No. 2, packaged dystopian thriller by All at Warners with Yahya Abdul-Mateen II starring, and developed The Last Days, written by Ben Ripley, which The Gotham Group produced with Justin Lin directing and producing through his Perfect Storm Entertainment. The Gotham Group developed and produced the Netflix feature film Wendell & Wild from Jordan Peele and Henry Selick and produced both the film adaptation and Apple series version of Tony DiTerlizzi’s award-winning family adventure The Spiderwick Chronicles and the Emmy®-nominated Creature Comforts USA, with partner Aardman Animations.

About VIZ Media:

Wherever manga and anime fans are, we are! VIZ Media is No. 1 in Japanese pop culture, introducing fans to what’s now, new, and next. Home to the world’s most influential and groundbreaking storytellers and artists, who today drive multiple industries from publishing and animation to film and gaming. If it’s big in Japan, you can find it at VIZ.

VIZ Media is proudly certified as a Most Loved Workplace® in America and Inc Magazine’s Best Workplace. For more information on VIZ Media visit: www.viz.com

PLEASE NOTE- As an Amazon Associate and an eBay Partner Network Affiliate, I earn from qualifying purchases. The links are designed both to help you find the products, and to help support my work on ComicList.Info.