entertainment

Stalled 'Akira' live-action movie comes back to life

18 Comments
By Cara Clegg

After being suspended in 2012, it seems like plans for the "Akira" live action movie are finally moving forward again. The Warner Brothers movie will be a Hollywood retelling of the 1988 cult anime classic, with original writer and director Katsuhiro Ohtomo acting as executive producer. This will perhaps assuage some fans’ fears that Hollywood will turn the dark, complex narrative into just another generic guns-and-explosions blockbuster.

The story is set in a dystopian neo-Tokyo, and revolves around teenager biker Tetsuo Shima and his psychic abilities. There has been no news on whether the Hollywood remake will keep to the Asian roots of the story, or try to transplant it into an American setting so as to be more palatable for US audiences.

Jaume Collet-Serra ("Unknown," "Orphan") is currently in negotiations to come back on board as director. However, it’s still not sure whether or not Garrett Hedlund, who was cast as the lead back in 2012, will be returning.

Currently little more is known other than the news that the project is starting up again, but we’ll be sure to keep you updated with any new tidbits that come our way.

Source: allcinema

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18 Comments
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anyone trying this should at leas take responsibility i think akira was more or less my introduction to non disney or nickelodeon anime and i fear its more or less of an icon to others ... one shyamalan didnt get the airbender right, right?

or am i wrong ?

its a difficult task

1 ( +1 / -0 )

They should just make a film attributing "inspired by Akira" but not call it Akira so people won't confuse it as a straight adaptation of the original.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

There has been no news on whether the Hollywood remake will keep to the Asian roots of the story, or try to transplant it into an American setting so as to be more palatable for US audiences.

Anything "transplanted" from Akira will not be Akira, so why bother to make palatable?, it's like to say "inspired" by the manga... If the people want to watch Akira, they would want the one closest to the original, otherwise it would be a different film. Same as Harry Potter, Do you think If it were "transplanted" there would be "Hogwarts"? no there would be something like "Boston school of magic", or Harry, Hermione and Ron would be called, Harry, Allison and Rob....

I do hope that they stick to the original

@tokyobakayaro Hehehehe, you made my day!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

"There has been no news on whether the Hollywood remake will keep to the Asian roots of the story, or try to transplant it into an American setting...."

NONONONONONO. Speaking as an American, Americanizing the film would ruin it completely.

Doesn't anyone remember the ghodawful 1998 Godzilla, or even the Americanized version of Gojira? Or ANY Americanized version of ANY foreign-sourced film? In most cases, the result is not only an abhorrent mess, but a box office bomb.

Leave the film true to it's source. It will be far, far, far better.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

gogogo: "Japanese director's don't work in hollywood"

Not true.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Japanese director's don't work in hollywood, case and point is the final fantasy movie.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

I hope they will keep the outstanding movie score from the anime version...

1 ( +1 / -0 )

So it's NOT going to take place in New York? Thank god!

No, It may take place in Neo-L.A. after Mexican drug cartels dropped a nuke on the city.

The movie will be renamed: KEVIN, with Ryan Gosling playing Kevin (originally called Akira in Japan). Joseph Gordon-Levitt will play Kaneda, sorry I meant Steve not Kaneda....

Steve!

Kevin!

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

just keep all the Marvel crew away from it! Get Nolan and Synder in (a bit of Weta magic as well) and it could be awesome!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Will it have at least one Asian actor? Of will we have white Samurai again because Hollywood doesn't like to show that there are Asians in the world?

4 ( +5 / -1 )

It started in 1982 as a manga and was over 2000 pages. Forget adapting the anime movie, which glossed over too much and had no ending. I want to see more of the original story included. The best news was Ken Watanabe playing the Colonel, and I hope he still is.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Seeing how they butchered most of the anime storylines and characters when making a western version out of it, i say, no, thank you, the only one that was reasonably done (IMO) was Crying Freeman.

5 ( +5 / -0 )

It doesn't have to be called Neo-Tokyo or Neo-New York or what have you to be palatable to any particular audience outside of fools. It's science FICTION, and based on a cartoon for that matter, and there are ways of working around the fact that it was created in Japan and is being redone by Hollywood. Anyone ever seen a gem called Bladerunner? You couldn't pinpoint the city if it were not mentioned.

I like that that Ohtomo is being kept on, and hope Hollywood doesn't screw this up.

-4 ( +3 / -7 )

See No Evil Hear No Evil Speak No Evil. this is going to be a one big poopie.

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

When will we get the animated version of Warhols Empire State Building? I would like to see what Pixar does with a ten hour realtime look at a NYC landmark!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

So it's NOT going to take place in New York? Thank god!

3 ( +3 / -0 )

Dreadful.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

love warner bros

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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