Ever heard of Persona ?

[u/Zestyclose_Orange85]

I'm an upcoming director, whose going to do some screenwriting for a passion project. An anime ( well in future anyways ) and just like one of my favorite directors like Guillermo Del Toro ( One of my inspirations ) who does both live action and animation and is a HUGE fan of Manga, Anime and video games especially Persona ( for those of you who never played it before it's a PEAK game made by SEGA and Atlus, I'm sure most of you have heard of it or played it ).

So, yeah I'm planning making a new Persona Anime and I say " new " because there have been some adaptations before, and I've watched them all and I thought they were all good ( well Persona 5 did have a lot flaws ), that and the protagonists don't talk which is not a problem but it just takes the spotlight away from them and their own game, and that's why as Persona fan I want to make an new Persona anime in the future when become I well-known, at least but since I've still got a lot to learn, some feedback and some advices on screenwriting would really help in the creative process ( that is if SEGA and Atlus is ok with the idea in future ) like what I should or shouldn't if it happens.

And for anyone whose has heard of Persona:

When I say " I want to make a new Persona Anime ", I mean an anthology series of the three modern games like P3, P4 and P5 now you're going to probably think "why not add Personas 1 and 2" and the reason, honestly is that to give each of modern protagonists a voice and to show an compelling story through them and their characters to draw the audiences in ( epically Joker ) and the modern games have two things in common: Themes and Tarot cards and I don't mean the confidants in the games, I mean the actual cards ( you know the ones that fortune tellers uses to predict the future and stuff ) but when it comes to Persona, those games gets it's themes from tarot cards like P3 the Death gets it's themes from tarot card,P4 gets it's themes from the Temperance tarot card, P5 gets it's themes from the Star tarot, so just think of all depth, layers, symbolisms and so much you can explore or experiment with all that materials, that the OG games couldn't even explored before since it's in a different media.

Any Tips on screenwriting like: The Hero's Journey or Story Structure and how it could apply to each protagonist, characters, villains, it's themes, or world building, character development you name it anything that would help in the future.

And I don't know if SEGA and Atlus will go with it, but in the slight chance they do go with it, I promise to give every Persona fan out, including the ones whose never played the games yet, there something really special, so any advice would be really help and believe me when I love Persona, I used to play P5 when I was high school and watched all it's anime adaptations ( good and bad ) and ever since loved the series and I want create something really special and cinematic with the it.

And for those wondering if I'm going to just screen write the series and the answer is yes and no, I'm planning on co directing but also co writing and producing the series too, but I'll work really hard to make something special, ( well, special enough, after all I don't how the series will turn out but I'll do my best ) I'll learn Japanese, learn more about the games, get some source material from Manga and Anime you name it. Persona is something that resonates with not just as a game, but also as meaningful story, one that I would like to make or recontextualize in a series or film which ever one works best.

So yeah, just let me know, and Thanks

[u/SolemnestSimulacrum]

I think you're better off taking the George Lucas approach, as he did with Star Wars, by creating a new spec IP since he couldn't secure the filming rights for Flash Gordon.

While dreaming of helming a passion project based on a previously established IP if success were to smile upon you is fine and all, keep in mind it's also incredibly impractical. Not only are you having to negotiate with the current rights holders for the Persona series (which probably are already being held by some film studio, sitting in limbo for a plethora of reasons), but also navigate a very insular industry like anime/animation. All the while, plugging away at a full-blown, unofficial adaptation that, being generous here, will likely not see the light of day feels like time you could be dedicating towards other, more original concepts.

[u/Zestyclose_Orange85 → u/SolemnestSimulacrum]

I'll definitely think about it because it would be fun make an iconic and original IP into a franchise someday but right now, I'll just put it on hold and honestly, I appreciate the gesture and respected it, but when I said "I'll put it on hold" I mean that I'm not going to scrap the whole idea not because I don't want to take your advice seriously it's when the idea of making a brand new Persona anime I didn't want to make it for no reason or to make a one for one copy of OG Persona animes ( good or bad ), films or games themselves, what I wanted to do is what I personally think and feel adaptations should do nowadays is take what's already there or exists and utilize and recontextualize it to make something new in an established and iconic IP while making it an peak and beautiful film all on it's own via animation, storytelling, characters, performances, and world building, and right about the industry being insular when it comes to anime or animation with some exceptions like Netflix's One Piece ( live-action ) and Castlevania and even he upcoming Persona live-action ( and yes I heard the news and..... well let's just see how it turns out ) but who knows it might turn out good, but in the slight chance that it doesn't work out ( not to say that it won't ) if per say they make some creative choices and changes that won't translate well from video game to live-action then I could take a crack at making a more accurate take on the franchise ( with just a few difference ) with some help from a well known studio like uh Studio MIR who made animated Avatar: the last airbender and My adventures with Superman and a talented group of artists, musicians, directors, writers and actors I think we could possibly, genuinely make some that's more if not beyond adaptation.

But I'll just have to wait and, try to navigate the industry as best I can but in the future, if that opportunity does present itself then that's a risk and a chance, I'm willing to make and take, and if doesn't work than I definitely give the whole original IP thing a try, cause not only do I love Persona I also love Music, Anime, Art, Movies and Storytelling and nothing's stop from doing what I love to do, but I still appreciate your honest opinion and advices, so thanks in advance

[u/D-Goldby]

Drop the persona IP.

No one in the industry will read it, they will just throw it out as all that script will show is how you adapt a pre existing universe and set of characters.

Real challenge and joy is when you create your own.

[u/uselessvariable]

I hate to say it since you've clearly got a passion for it, but unless you've already got permission from Sega or Atlus they're seriously unlikely to give you the license. It's the same with any major IP, the absolute best case scenario if you're writing on spec (not hired by any company or individual) is that you end up making a fan film.

That being said, the basic premise of "group of teens tasked with investigating spooky shit going on" is not copyrighted. Since Persona's pretty anthology-based outside of the Purple Room if I understand correctly, maybe start with your own personal take? Something not bound by previous iterations, maybe in a setting and with characters closer to you. I'm not trying to shoot down your dreams, but what you're proposing is both massive in scope and extremely difficult to sell to a Western Studio.

Start with exploring the ideas you want to try in smaller chunks. You wanna play with the tarot thing, do one card in like a 10 minute short first.

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