In 1993, Yoshiaki Kawajiri couldn’t have foreseen the kind of impact his latest film would have on the world. Ninja Scroll made its debut to critical acclaim, and as they say, the rest is history.

First it was Akira, now it's Ninja Scroll, too. Leonardo DiCaprio's production company Appian Way will be producing a live-action adaptation of the classic anime movie for Warner Brothers.

The popularity of anime in the west owes a lot to the 1993 film Ninja Scroll, which appealed to adult audiences thanks to its liberal use of action and violence. It’s a film that every anime fan ...