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Netflix is developing a live-action adaptation of the Persona video game franchise, according to a Variety report relayed by Gematsu. The project marks the first live-action screen adaptation of Atlus’s beloved JRPG series — and with Netflix available across Singapore and Southeast Asia, local fans of the Phantom Thieves and the Investigation Team would be able to watch it from day one whenever it does arrive.

Persona 5 Royal school scene featuring counsellor Maruki in the classroom with students — Image courtesy of Atlus

The Creative Team Behind the Persona Netflix Live-Action Series

Christopher Monfette is attached as writer, executive producer, and showrunner. Alongside him are Shawn Levy and Robert Atwood of 21 Laps Entertainment — the production outfit behind Deadpool & Wolverine, Stranger Things, and Free Guy. Three more executive producers come from Story Kitchen: Dmitri M. Johnson, Michael Lawrence Goldberg, and Timothy I. Stevenson, a company with a growing track record of adapting video game IP for the screen. Rounding out the team is Toru Nakahara of SEGA as executive producer — meaning the franchise’s publisher has a direct seat at the table rather than simply licensing out the property.

Netflix declined to comment when contacted by Variety, so the series has not yet received a formal greenlight. It remains in active development at this stage, but attaching a producer of Shawn Levy’s calibre — one of the architects of both Deadpool & Wolverine and Stranger Things — is a meaningful signal that Atlus and SEGA are serious about finding this adaptation the production it deserves.

Persona 4 Revival Broadcast — via Official ATLUS West on YouTube

Which Persona Game Will It Adapt?

Variety’s report does not specify a source game, leaving the question open. The Persona franchise spans several standalone numbered entries, each with a distinct cast, setting, and tone. Persona 5 is the obvious frontrunner — it is comfortably the series’ most commercially successful title, praised for its stylised visuals, strategic combat, and a story about high schoolers exposing corrupt adults that reads almost like a ready-made episodic premise. Its existing anime adaptations demonstrate how well that story translates outside the game.

That said, Atlus has not confirmed a source game, and a creative team adapting a multi-entry franchise sometimes opts for an original story set within the established universe rather than a straight remake of any single title. A live-action take on Persona 4‘s small-town murder mystery — with a fresh cast, real locations, and none of the anime’s constraints — could go in a direction the existing adaptations have not.

Persona 4 Revival Broadcast key art showing Yu Narukami and the Investigation Team on a vibrant yellow background — Image courtesy of Atlus

The Persona Franchise Is in Full Momentum Right Now

The Netflix development news arrives at a moment when Atlus is pushing the Persona brand harder than it has in years. Persona 4 Revival — a rebuilt, modernised take on the beloved 2008 RPG — launches for PlayStation 5, Xbox Series X|S, and PC on 18 February 2027, with day-one access via Game Pass. Beyond that, Persona 6 has been confirmed for PS5, Xbox Series, and PC. Meanwhile, Persona 3 Reload recently crossed three million in combined shipments and digital sales, a milestone that speaks to how much broader the series’ audience has grown beyond its cult JRPG roots.

Persona 5 Royal cutscene featuring Ann Takamaki, Ryuji Sakamoto and Joker in school uniforms at a shopping centre — Image courtesy of Atlus

For Singapore fans, the Netflix angle is clean: the platform is widely subscribed here, and barring unexpected regional issues, any series that gets made would land globally on release day. Persona 5 Royal has been a consistent JRPG recommendation at local game shops and a regular talking point across SG gaming communities online — there is a real local audience primed for this. The bigger question is timelines: with the series still in development and no greenlight confirmed, a premiere could be years away. But Shawn Levy’s production machine has a track record of moving projects from concept to screen with serious momentum, and the Persona franchise is in the best commercial shape it has ever been. More game news here.

What’s Been Announced

BBC Studios Kids & Family, UK production company Wheel in Motion, and Japan’s Kadokawa Corporation announced their three-way co-production on 16 June. The series is planned as 10 episodes running approximately 30 minutes each — roughly five hours of new Kiki content, compared to the Ghibli film’s 102 minutes. The story will be drawn primarily from the first volume of Kadono’s six-book novel series.

Importantly, the series is based on the original novel, not the 1989 Studio Ghibli film directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Both draw from the same source material, but approaching the story fresh from Kadono’s books gives the creative team room to explore angles the Ghibli adaptation never took.

Who Is Making It

Irena Brignull — whose credits include the Oscar-nominated stop-motion film The Boxtrolls, Sky’s Skellig, and Netflix’s The Little Prince — is attached as series writer. No director, cast, or production timeline has been confirmed at this stage.

Grainne McNamara, Head of BBC Studios Kids & Family, said in the announcement: “We are thrilled to be part of a collaboration to bring Kiki’s Delivery Service to life for a new generation on a global stage.”

Takeo Kodera, Kadokawa’s Director of International Co-Productions, called the partnership “a more exciting tribute to the landmark 40th anniversary of this classic book series than we could have imagined.”

Original author Eiko Kadono added: “Kiki is about to set off on another adventure into a new world. I’m confident this will be a great show.”

Series writer Brignull summed up the appeal: “Kiki is one of fiction’s great girl characters, embodying the magic that exists in re-invention and human connection.”

40 Years of Kiki

Kadono’s original novel was first published in 1985 by Fukuinkan Shoten. The Ghibli adaptation arrived four years later and introduced the young witch to international audiences — including many Singapore viewers who grew up watching her navigate the port town of Koriko. The film became one of Ghibli’s most beloved works and helped define what a coming-of-age story could look like in animation. This live-action series is timed specifically to mark the novel’s 40th anniversary.

No Release Date or Streaming Platform Yet

This is an early development announcement — no network, streaming platform, release window, cast, or director has been named. BBC Studios Kids & Family productions have historically reached global audiences through major streaming platforms, but nothing is confirmed for Singapore yet. Given the three-way international co-production setup, a wide Asian streaming release seems a reasonable expectation — just not a guarantee at this point.

Last Words

For Singapore fans who grew up watching Kiki cross rooftops and navigate an unfamiliar city, this announcement is a big deal — even if the details are still months away. A BBC Studios and Kadokawa partnership “for a global stage” reads as a genuine attempt to build something international, not just a localised reboot. We will track casting and streaming news as they emerge. In the meantime, find more of our anime and manga coverage here.

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Persona Live-Action Series in Development at Netflix