Lollipop Chainsaw Getting Unexpected Remake In 2023
Approximately ten years ago, a weird little game was released for PS3 and XBox 360 that called itself Lollipop Chainsaw. It was the brainchild of Suda51, the twisted game maker behind the No More Heroes series — but he had help. More on that help in a minute.
The game is about a chainsaw-wielding, lollipop-sucking 18-year-old zombie slayer named Juliet Starling. She comes from a family of zombie slayers and the undead have just invaded her high school. To give one example of this thing’s sense of humor (one of the more clean things we can mention), Juliet has managed to save her boyfriend’s life by detaching his head from his body via a magic spell and wearing it on her hip throughout the adventure. There is a boss battle where someone yells curse words at you, they literally become comic book words and Juliet must somersault over them. Lollipop Chainsaw is….nuts. There was nothing like it at the time, aside from everything else Suda51 has been involved with.
And it seemed destined to be buried with the PS3, as Suda has moved on to NMH sequels for the Switch. Lollipop Chainsaw has a cult following, and there aren’t many copies out there, meaning it will cost you (especially the PS3 version). But shockingly, a solution is on the way! Someone is daring to remake this game.
Yoshimi Yasuda, the original producer, has obtained the rights to Lollipop Chainsaw and will be rebuilding it from the ground up in a modern style, using a mix of veterans from the original and new hires. “We, the original development staff on Lollipop Chainsaw, think of the game as very precious to us, and did not want to leave it in limbo, where players who want to play it cannot,” said Yasuda. “As such, we purchased the Lollipop Chainsaw intellectual property from Kadokawa Games, and decided to develop a remake. We have already contacted Warner Bros. about development, and are being supported by them in this endeavor.”
So who was the help Suda originally employed to get Lollipop Chainsaw made? Believe it or not, it was….James Gunn, future director of Guardians of the Galaxy, The Suicide Squad and the Peacemaker TV show. Before he went mainstream, the man had a very ribald sense of humor (one that almost cost him his high position). The easily offended should probably stay away from this game, and that includes every single person who works for Kotaku.
And if you DO have an original copy of LC, it might still prove to be valuable after all. The game took the unusual step of using licensed music for its soundtrack (“Mickey” by Toni Basil was in there, of course) and the result is that none of it is going to make it into the remake. Those who prefer the original tracks will still want the PS3 version.
Lollipop Chainsaw will return in 2023.
Travis
July 5, 2022 @ 8:58 pm
Fans are demanding a sequel and not a remake… The only thing they can do to make the remake fresh is add new bosses. Fans were yearning for a sequel and remake is what they came up with?
Juliet Starling
July 5, 2022 @ 9:56 pm
I’m hoping they just meant remaster and were using the phrase remake loosely. I’d really like a PC port. On a PC, it is always possible to mod the licensed music back in. Shadows of the Damned is the only thing remaining. Sequel is indeed better! If they remake this there could be some kind of censorship to occur. If it is indeed a remake, I hope Julie keeps her personality.
Cody
July 5, 2022 @ 10:02 pm
Is James Gunn going to return? Will Tara Reid reprise the role of Juliet?
Shin Gouki
July 6, 2022 @ 1:32 am
They should add additional Dark Purveyors so the game will be longer. The original game was so short.
tehleslie
July 6, 2022 @ 8:45 am
I guess they decided to go for a remake to test the waters for a sequel.
Norelle
August 29, 2022 @ 2:52 am
I hope Tara Strong will reprise the role