The continuation of the Lollipop Chainsaw franchise should be cause for celebration, although the absence of writer James Gunn and director Suda51 does naturally invite scepticism.
You may recall recently that Japanese developer Dragami Games signed a deal with Taiwanese investment firm Nada Holdings to continue the development of the property.
But a new joint statement from the duo is needlessly tone deaf, in which it claims it “won’t impose excessive creative restrictions in the name of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion)”.
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If we’re being charitable, we think what the organisations are trying to say is that they’ll stay true to the spirit of the original, but the PS3 classic – which was recently remade for PS5 and PS4 – was always superbly subversive, so we’re not sure it even understands the series at all.
Here’s what the full statement reads:
“Under the strong partnership between Nada Holdings and Dragami Games, development is already underway on a brand-new Lollipop Chainsaw title that both preserves and builds upon the appeal of the original. With a firm commitment to honouring the spirit of the original work, the development team includes key staff members who were involved in the previous title. The new project is also being developed with close attention to fan feedback.
“As with the original, the new title aims to recreate a world rich in dark humour. The development process will prioritize staying true to the distinctive tone and spirit of the original work, without imposing excessive creative restrictions in the name of DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusion).”
Ultimately, we are excited for the continuation of heroine Juliet Starling’s story, but between the messy remake of the original and this statement, we’re going to need a lot of convincing.
Here’s hoping the new game and anime turn out well, because this is a franchise that’s always had potential, and it’s taken far too long to put it back in the limelight.