live-action

[lahyv-ak-shuhn]

adjective

1. of or relating to movies, videos, and the like, that feature real performers, as distinguished from animation.

   A new live-action version of the classic animated film will be released later this year.

2. Informal.,  live.

Other Word Forms

• live action noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of live-action¹

First recorded in 1955–60

Example Sentences

What anime has lacked is a big, breakout live-action hit to catapult it into mainstream Hollywood, said Douglas Montgomery, market advisor for Parrot Analytics.

From Los Angeles Times

Though there have been attempts, such as 2017’s controversial live-action “Ghost in the Shell,” starring Scarlett Johansson, and the John Cho-led series remake “Cowboy Bebop” in 2021, both flopped.

From Los Angeles Times

Netflix now has subtitled anime in 33 languages and dubbed titles in about a dozen, said Yuji Yamano, Netflix’s director of content acquisition in Japan, who joined the company in 2019 to lead the licensing and acquisition of local live-action and anime content.

From Los Angeles Times

With this deal, Paramount will develop, produce and distribute a live-action film based on the first-person shooter franchise, according to a statement Tuesday from Paramount.

From Los Angeles Times

Call of Duty's makers have struck a deal to turn the video game into a live-action film.

From BBC