Though they may seem rare,live-action adaptations of popular anime and mangahave been around for a long time. Japan, China, and Taiwan have long been producing live-action adaptations of popular anime and manga, and so if a fan of these series wanted to see live-action adaptations of their favorite series, there is a chance that it exists (Jackie Chan even starred in a live-action adaptation ofCity Hunter, if you can believe it). In more recent years, Hollywood has started to dabble in adapting anime and manga for live-action movies, and most of them are infamous.
Dragonball: Evolutionwas a notorious disaster whileSpeed Raceris now considered a modern masterpiece that was ahead of its time. The most recent attempt at adapting an anime for American audiences wasKnights of the Zodiac(which is also looking like it has the potential to be a notorious flop). One property that seems ripe for an American film isSailor Moon. Considering the character is still very popular in North America, this seems like a logical franchise to approach. To date, the only serious attempt has been from The Walt Disney Company in the mid-nineties (a project that ultimately failed). But while it is common knowledge that Disney once attempted to adaptSailor Moon, how did they acquire the rights to the character in the first place?
What is Sailor Moon?
Although it may seem silly to cover, for those who may not be aware of whatSailor Moonis, let’s go over it:Pretty Guardian Sailor Moonis a manga created by Naoko Takeuchi. It was later adapted into an anime series that became so big it spawned several films, musicals, and merchandise. The story follows Usagi Tsukino, a middle school student who discovers she is the reincarnation of the ancient moon princess, Sailor Moon. She is joined by a group of other magical girls known as the Sailor Senshi, who possess unique powers and identities tied to various celestial bodies.
The series combines elements of fantasy, romance, and action, as Usagi and her friends fight against various villains to protect the Earth and the princess they are destined to serve. As the story progresses, they uncover the secrets of their past lives, encounter other Sailor Senshi, and face increasingly powerful enemies. It is credited with revitalizing the magical girl genre and has a large and dedicated fan base of both men and women alike. The series has also been praised for its empowering messages of love, friendship, and female empowerment. To this daySailor Moonis still one of the most recognizable anime characters of all time, and as such talks of an American adaptation have been rumored for years.
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Who Was DiC Entertainment?
DiC Entertainment was an American and French-based animation production company. It was founded in 1971 by Jean Chalopin and was initially based in France. The company later expanded its operations to the United States under the leadership of Andy Heyward (the current CEO of Genius Brands International, Inc). DiC Entertainment was known for producing and distributing a wide range of shows across different genres, including children’s animation, action-adventure, and educational programming.
Some of their notable productions includeInspector Gadget,The Real Ghostbusters,Captain Planet and the Planeteers, andThe Super Mario Bros. Super Show! They were also the company who initially dubbedSailor Moonfor American audiences. DiC’s adaptation ofSailor Moondid make the character well known to American audiences (especially when it aired on Cartoon Network’s Toonami block), however it was also notorious for making significant changes to the dialogue, character names, and storylines to suit Western audiences. It was this involvement with the franchise which would lead to the Walt Disney Company acquiring the rights toSailor Moon.
How Did Disney Acquire the Rights to Sailor Moon?
During the late eighties, DiC Entertainment was having cash-flow problems and acquiring debt as a result of a saturated syndication market. There were more kids’ programming being created than there were time slots to air those shows on, and the company soon found itself borrowing money to pay for previously produced shows. After having initial talks about a potential buyout from Capital Cities/ABC and PolyGram, on Jul 12, 2025, DIC Entertainment andCapital Cities/ABC Video Enterprises, Inc. formed a Delaware limited partnership joint venture called DIC Entertainment, L.P. to help control DIC’s production library and provide material for Capital Cities/ABC and PolyGram to distribute in international markets.
Ultimately the two companies would form a new company called DIC Productions L.P. Heyward retained a small ownership stake in the limited partnership while Capital Cities/ABC and PolyGram took 95% ownership in the company. This partnership was largely effective, as it allowed the company to move to Burbank, expand with a movie and video game division, and (of course) acquire international properties likeUltramanandSailor Moon. In January 1996,The Walt Disney Companymerged with Capital Cities/ABC in a deal worth $19 billion, which made the American Broadcasting Company and all its affiliate’s part of the Disney family. As a result of this merger, DIC became part of The Walt Disney Company in 1996.
Shortly afterward, the company launched a feature-film unit known as DIC Films and signed a first-look deal with Walt Disney Pictures. As a result of this deal, Disney now had access to make films based on several DiC properties, andSailor Moonwas one of them. Disney was so interested in the property that the film was put into pre-production, with Melissa Joan Hart (who was on the hit ABC showSabrina The Teenage Witchat the time) and Academy Award-winner Geena Davis in talks to play Sailor Moon and Queen Beryl, respectively. Ultimately, the film would never get made (check out our related article below to find out why). Still, though the film didn’t get made, it’s interesting to think that Disney not only had the rights to aSailor Moonmovie at one point but had acquired the rights completely by accident.
