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Rumor: Live-Action Remake of Akira in the Works?!

by Alex Billington
October 30, 2007
Source: Bloody-Disgusting.com

One genre of film that always gets overlooked with mainstream press is anime. I don't mean a small Inuyasha movie for the fans, I mean good full-featured anime like Paprika that was in theaters last year or Hayao Miyazaki films. One of my all-time favorite animes that is also regarded as one of the greatest anime movies of all time is Akira. Most of you probably don't even know anything about it, but that's not the point. The good news is that a rumor has popped up over at Bloody-Disgusting.com (via our friends at FilmJunk) claiming that a live-action remake of Akira is in the works at Warner Brothers.

A live-action remake of Akira has been in the works for quite a while, originally appearing in 2003 with James Robinson writing and Steven Norrington directing. That never ended up going anywhere, but this latest rumor claims that Warner Brothers is trying to start it back up with Irish director Ruairi Robinson. I'm not sure where the struggle is, whether it's with the script, the budget, the idea to begin with, or most likely with licensing. Either way, this is one of the most exciting rumors to come from the anime genre in quite a while.

For those of you who don't know anything about Akira, the one thing you need to know is that it would make an awesome live-action movie. The problem is that it's so long and so extravagant that it would probably end up with a budget of at least $150 million. Not only are there chases with futuristic motorcycles but also the entire ending fight and scene would cost excessive amounts to live up to the anime.

Akira is a 1988 Japanese anime film that was originally based on a manga. Kaneda is a bike gang leader whose close friend Tetsuo gets involved in a government secret project known as Akira. On his way to save Tetsuo, Kaneda runs into a group of anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists and a powerful military leader. The confrontation sparks off Tetsuo's supernatural power leading to bloody death, a coup attempt and the final battle in Tokyo Olympiad where Akira's secrets were buried 30 years ago.

Akira

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Ryan McCarthy

Please.. Please.. Hollywood.. leave this movie alone! Yes the ability with CGI and Directing is here.. but DO NOT ruin a good thing.. Im praying for this not to happen! Leave AKIRA alone! Thanks First Showing. Ryan
http://www.myspace.com/kail2007 Kail

I actually just watched this movie in HD the other day thanks to the Xbox Live Marketplace. My brother had never seen it before, so I showed it to him, and he loved it.
God this movie is good

I love anime, more than normal shows even. Akira happens to be the show that brought the fascination upon me. The japanese can do some damn good anime-to-live-action conversions but I don't know how faithful a hollywood one would be. Hopefully they don't mess it up, it would make me want to cry.
Bruce Darren Acosta

AKIRA LIVE ACTION AND NINJA SCROLL MOVIE NEWS. Warner Bros is bringing Akira to big screen and new director Ruairi Robinson will helm the project, the plot will be set in a futurastic world of man Tetsuo gets involved in the secret goverment known as Akira.No word on cast yet. Threshold Entertainment's Larry Kasanoff has the rights to Ninja Scroll from Madhouse in 2002 and it still in development and Kasanoff is working on Mortal Kombat movie remake. Ninja Scroll story centers a ninja for named Jubei who joins a girl Kagero who fight against the evil eight devils of Kimon. Threshold's special effects company Threshold Digital Research Labs will work on special effects for the film and their will be some techno music score in Japanese and Sean Catherine Derek will work out the script from Madhouse. More news on Ninja Scroll in the future. Thank You. BRUCE ACOSTA AUSTRALIA.
hotmilkgt

like Alex said, the budget itself would turn away hollywood film makers...thus saving the film from the crappy adaptation with that said, whats the most expensive adaptation hollywood has done? The Departed?
Matiss Berger

This would make a really awesome live action flick, if the right people got attached. But I think John Woo would be good, an Hong Kong cinema directer like that, not an American director, they would screw it up. What would be the best is if they did a really long movie off the books or a few movies that make up the better story from the books. Anyway those F/X would have to be AMAZING!
Ben

In my honest opinion I think Akira should be left in the anime world. This is due to the fact it was orginaly a Japanese Manga in the first place and japanese manga does not convert to film effectively. My respect for Leonardo will fall tremendously if he goes through with this.
mexico

how are the goni to do the tetsuo scene where he halucinates and his intestines spill out
Sarah

Actually, Anime converts beautifully into film. The Matrix was inspired by the anime Ghost in the Shell and some others as well. But supposedly they are going to use the comic books more than the last movie for Akira. I just hope the original vision of Akira isnt lost or trashed in the film.
saran wrap

It definitely being made, by Hollywood. With white actors and actresses, of course. Nothing against white actors, but the fact that they ALWAYS remake these movies with white actors shows that Hollywood has something against Asian actors. Look what they did to Chow-Yun Fat: Replacement Killers did very well, and yet somehow they gave him smaller and smaller roles, as if they wanted him to fade away. He wasn't allowed to kiss Jodie Foster in the King and I, even though that's what happened in the musical version.
mmm...

I think with stupidity, that's how they are gonna make the tetsuo scene with the intestines
Harry The Spammer

Fuck Akira. Fuck that shit. I want to see a faithful, live action Starblazers (Space Cruiser Yamato) with all the great music from that series. Also, G-Force in Battle of the Planets would be epic. Resurrect Hoyt Curtins awesome score for that one too. Is Casey Kasem still alive? What the fuck do chipmonks and G-Force have in common anyway?