Lee Isaac Chung On Why His Live-Action Your Name Adaptation Didn’t Work Out

It would be fair to say that the last few years have been something of a whirlwind for director Lee Isaac Chung. Just over half a decade ago, the University of Utah graduate was about ready to call time on his career as an independent filmmaker and pivot from making movies to teaching about them instead. And then along came Minari in 2020, and with it nods for Best Picture, Best Director, and Best Screenplay at the 2021 Oscars, setting Chung on a path that would lead to directing gigs on The Mandalorian and the upcoming Star Wars: Skeleton Crew, as well as — of course — this summer’s smash hit disaster movie sequel Twisters. But there was almost another huge project in Chung’s pipeline that never quite worked out — a live-action adaptation of Makoto Shinkai’s anime juggernaut Your Name.

“That was a situation in which I just loved all the people so much,” reflects Chung, speaking to Empire for our world-exclusive Andor Season 2 issue. But, despite having been a fan of the original film, widely regarded as one of the best anime movies ever made, Chung — who signed on to direct a live-action retooling from an Emily V. Gordon script back in 2020 — hit a wall when it came to mounting his own take on Shinkai’s work. “I like the animated film,” the director explains, “but what I didn't realise is how hard it is to adapt a Japanese animated movie and to try to do that for America. That was the goal that Toho had put before us. But it's really hard to do.”

As Empire learns from our conversation with Chung, Your Name’s failure to materialise wasn’t for lack of trying. “During the pandemic I worked on that script for many months,” the Twisters helmsman shares, “and ultimately came to a place where I realised I had written something I just couldn't even shoot.” And so, with Lee Isaac Chung having scribbled Your Name out of his diary, all eyes turn to Raya And The Last Dragon director Carlos López, the latest moviemaker to pick up the baton and try to get a live-action version of Makoto Shinkai’s opus up and running. Good luck — and please don’t touch the Radwimps soundtrack!

Read more of our exclusive interview with Lee Isaac Chung in the Ultimate 2025 Preview issue of Empire — on sale now. Order your copy online here. Twisters is available now to buy and stream.