Akira

[doug maverick]

nah, i doubt it will be that bad. the film will ofcourse be americanized people got to understand that when making a western film(even if its based on an anime) they are ofcourse gonna use actors known all over the world. nobody is gonna sink 100+ million in a film filled with nobodies. for a anime that the general public at large doesnt know. its just simple math. i think that the hugh's bros. will do a good job of delivering a greedy as hell story. warners isnt fox, but hollywood will always white wash and gentrify anything. but blame the audience not the studio. the studio are trying to appease there share holders but creating tentpoles. warners is one of the very few studios who still does non tent pole films, but with batman, and harry potter coming to a close they are in a race to have at least two successful tentpole films set up. so far superman seems like it might do it. and this might be the next one. lets just hope they turn out a good story.


i use to always blame studios cause really they are at least 90% at fault for most screw ups when it comes to any kind of films. but they screw up cause they have all these focus groups and test screenings and its filled with fat white people in middle america who dont know akira from dragon ball. and dont want to see movies that are predominately asian or any other non white race. there are ofcourse, anomalies especially in the case of comedy. its a sucky sucky biz. but somebodies gotta do it.

[JamesC]

I hope it's as good as the Dragonball movie...

[doug maverick]

I hope it's as good as the Dragonball movie...

well there is a stark difference, between those two animes. akira is conceivably a very good sci fi movie, it just so happened to be animated. dragon ball is super outlandish and can only work in cartoon form. i remember even japanese tried and failed to make a live action version.

[Lucas]

i will be very sad if Akira gets messed up when converted...it is a very iconic anime to me. one of the very best ever made.

[JamesC]

well there is a stark difference, between those two animes. akira is conceivably a very good sci fi movie, it just so happened to be animated. dragon ball is super outlandish and can only work in cartoon form. i remember even japanese tried and failed to make a live action version.

I know, I was just being a smart a$s, lol.

i will be very sad if Akira gets messed up when converted...it is a very iconic anime to me. one of the very best ever made.

I feel the same way, but I don't hold out much hope for it. It isn't very often that movies get to stick to their source material exactly. Most of the time the directors say it is because it just wouldn't translate as well in a live-action movie.

Like you said in your previous post, it is more likely all about the benjamins. Which makes me sad. I wish that sometimes directors could just stick to their guns and realize that fans will thank them for it.

[GeneChing]

Keanu Reeves Passes on ‘Akira’ And Other Updates
Posted on Tuesday, May 17th, 2011 by Germain Lussier

Neo won’t be Kaneda. JoBlo has exclusively learned that Keanu Reeves, who was offered the starring role in Warner Bros. Albert Hughes-directed, live action remake of Akira, has passed. They’ve also learned that Warners has shut down and fired much of a pre-visualization department that was working on the film. Does this mean Akira is dead? Not quite. Read more after the jump.

JoBlo exclusively confirmed with Reeves’ reps that the actor has passed on the role, much as Brad Pitt, James Franco and Ryan Gosling before him. In their reporting they also learned that Warner Bros. shut down a pre-viz department that was working on the film. Losing yet another major star plus stopping work on a film might seem like a nail in the coffin but, it’s merely a minor setback. Here’s the statement issued by Warner Bros.

Production on Akira has not halted or been shut down, as the film has not yet been greenlit and is still very much in the development stage. The exploratory process is crucial to a project of this magnitude, and we will continue to sculpt our approach to making the best possible film.

We recently reported that screenwriter Steve Kloves came on to rewrite the film as well as rumors that the studio was frightened of a budget in the neighborhood of $140 million. Well, it seems as if the pre-viz firing and loss of Reeves will only result in a tightening, and possible shrinking, of the script. And that’s a good thing. Akira is one of the most beloved and classic animated films of all time and, with its epic scope and downer story, the more work that happens before (or if) the film gets greenlit, the better.

For more info on the inner working behind Akira and its interesting parallels to Alfonso Cuaron’s Gravity, head back over to JoBlo.

Do you think this Akira remake will ever happen? And if so, could it actually be a hit for the studio?

I think it will be hard to live up to the anime. That was such a classic - one of the first anime flicks to really blow me away. Of course, I saw it when it came out back in the late '80s, so it might seem really dated now. I haven't checked in with it since. Anyone seen it recently?

[doug maverick]

I think it will be hard to live up to the anime. That was such a classic - one of the first anime flicks to really blow me away. Of course, I saw it when it came out back in the late '80s, so it might seem really dated now. I haven't checked in with it since. Anyone seen it recently?

its not dated at all. thats the amazing part of akira. the animation still hold up.

[GeneChing]

Jaume Collet-Serra Tapped to Direct 'Akira' for Warner Bros.
Leonardo DiCaprio is producing the project, which has a script by "Harry Potter" scribe Steve Kloves.
5:44 PM 7/14/2011 by Jay A. Fernandez

Jaume Collet-Serra has been tapped to take on Warner Bros.' adaptation of Akira. The anime property has been in development with a succession of writers and directors since WB grabbed the rights in 2008, but now the Spanish Unknown director has the helm for the live-action film version.

Harry Potter adapter Steve Kloves has written the most recent draft of the screenplay, which is designed to turn Katsuhiro Otomo's classic graphic novel into a tentpole with a mid-level budget along the lines of WB's Clash of the Titans.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran of Appian Way are producing with Andrew Lazar of Mad Chance.

The CAA-repped Collet-Serra has directed the films House of Wax, Goal II: Living the Dream, Orphan and Unknown, which grossed $131 million worldwide earlier this year.

Anyone see any of these films

[GeneChing]

EXCLUSIVE
Posted: Wed., Oct. 19, 2011, 6:37pm PT
Warners greenlights 'Akira'; Hedlund front-runner
Live-action tentpole gets the go-ahead
By Justin Kroll

Warner Bros. has greenlit its live-action remake of the anime cult hit "Akira" for a late February/early March start, sources tell Variety.

In July, Warners tapped Spanish helmer Jaume Collet-Serra ("Unknown" ) to direct at a budget of $90 million, which was brought down from an initial figure of well over $100 million. Where the budget stands now isn't clear, and Warner Bros. had no comment on the project.

With a greenlight in place, studio can begin shopping for the two male leads; sources tell Variety that "Tron: Legacy" star Garrett Hedlund is considered a front-runner. Both Warners and Collett-Sera have been keen on the thesp, but had to wait for a greenlight to make their move.

Though no offer's been made, insiders say an offer could come soon.

"Akira," long in development at the studio, has hit several speedbumps over the last several months, including Albert Hughes falling out as director. Collet-Serra was brought on quickly, but working out the budget took about two months, with studio and creative execs meeting last week before the decision was sealed over the weekend.

Appian Way's Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran are producing with Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar. It's another big win for Appian Way, which just secrured "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeves to helm its "Twilight Zone" pic at Warners.

WB acquired the potential tentpole project for a seven-figure sum from Japanese manga publisher Kodansha in 2008. Set in New Manhattan, the cyberpunk sci-fi epic follows the leader of a biker gang who must save his friend, discovered with potentially destructive psychokinetic abilities, from government medical experiments.

Katsuhiro Otomo, who wrote and directed the 1988 Japanese anime pic of the same name, will exec produce "Akira."

With the special effects today, and $90 mill, they could surely pull this off, but I still doubt it'll beat the vision of the original anime.

[GeneChing]

And he's doing On the Road too? This so doesn't work for me.

Garrett Hedlund Formally Offered Lead In AKIRA
by Todd Brown, November 3, 2011 11:39 AM

It seems that virtually from the day that Warner Brothers greenlit the US, live action version of Akira rumors have been circulating that Tron Legacy star Garrett Hedlund was director Jaume Collet-Serra's choice to take the lead role of Kaneda. It seems that the powers that be at WB now agree, as Twitch has learned that Hedlund has just received a formal offer to take the part.

Though best known for his part in Tron Hedlund's past roles are actually quite diverse, including stints in genre fare (Death Sentence), romcoms (Georgia Rule), kid friendly fantasy (Eragon), and straight up drama both mainstream (Friday Night Lights) and indie, with Hedlund headlining Walter Salles' upcoming Jack Kerouac adaptation On The Road.

Put Hedlund next to Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter - who have both been offered key support parts - and it's clear that the producers are looking to fill the cast with recognizable names who are also actors with solid dramatic abilities, which is certainly preferable to many approaches. The curious part, however, is retaining the Japanese names despite shifting the setting to New York and the so-far all Caucasian cast.

akira
By Meredith Woerner
Nov 3, 2011 12:49 PM
Garrett Hedlund offered lead role in Akira. Crap.

Here's some horrible news coming straight from the Hollywood adaptation of Akira. Garrett Hedlund has reportedly been offered the role of Kaneda. Now we can trade in our fears about whitewashing for a new set of worries about the world's blandest Kaneda to ever ride a Huffy into a futuristic McDonalds.

Twitch Film is reporting what we've all been dreading. Back when Warner Bros. greenlit their Americanized Akira movie everyone was buzzing that Tron Legacy star Hedlund was the lead contender for the role of Kaneda. Now it seems he's been offered the part. Gah.

Listen, we don't have anything really against Hedlund, he's nice to look at on screen and his acting certainly wasn't the only reason Tron Legacy failed so dreadfully. But come on, Hollywood, this is just boring. Can we at least consider an Asian actor, just one? And are we really going to call this guy Kaneda? Or are you going to Americanize all the Japanese names as well? Will Shotaro Kaneda be turned into Kenny, and Tetsuo Shima into Timmy?

On the (sorta) plus side both Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter have been offered roles in the adaptation, so that's two castmembers we can rely on to deliver the goods. The movie, which is based off of the manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo, will now be set in Neo-New York (instead of Neo-Tokyo). It will still be set in the future and follow a motorcycle gang, a secret military project and psionic psychopath powers. It's really pretty awesome and you should watch the 1988 film if you ever get the chance.

[doug maverick]

im done with this....kristen stewart as kei....yea my interest is gone.

[GeneChing]

Auditions for Akira

Noteworthy from the audition call above:

Starring:
Kristen Stewart as Ky
Garret Hedlund as Kaneda
Helena Bonham-Carter as Lady Miyako
Ken Watanabe as The Colonel

Story:
Kaneda (Garret Hedlund) is a bar owner in Neo-Manhattan who is stunned when his brother, Tetsuo, is abducted by government agents led by The Colonel (Ken Watanabe). Desperate to get his brother back, Kaneda agrees to join with Ky Reed (Kristen Stewart) and her underground movement who are intent on revealing to the world what truly happened to New York City thirty years ago when it was destroyed. Kaneda believes their theories to be ludicrous but after finding his brother again, is shocked when he displays telekinetic powers. Ky believes Tetsuo is headed to release a young boy, Akira, who has taken control of Tetsuo's mind. Kaneda clashes with The Colonel's troops on his way to stop Tetsuo from releasing Akira but arrives too late. Akira soon emerges from his prison courtesy of Tetsuo as Kaneda races in to save his brother before Akira once again destroys Manhattan island, as he did thirty years ago.

Hmm, that's not quite how I remember it...

[doug maverick]

if i had even the most remote taste for acting i would...but my life lies behind the camera...its where im most comfortable..also wear i make the most $$$ lol.

[BakShaolinEC]

well there is a stark difference, between those two animes. akira is conceivably a very good sci fi movie, it just so happened to be animated. dragon ball is super outlandish and can only work in cartoon form. i remember even japanese tried and failed to make a live action version.

hey, hong kong made, legend of the dragon pearl was amazing.

[BakShaolinEC]

didn't they say this was going to follow the manga more closely then the anime? the anime got released before they finished the manga. when i read the manga i wa amazed at how much more awesome it was then the movie.

i hate Kristen Stewart as an actress. but if you think about it ky was kinda of blank during the movie and had 1 look on her face the whole time too. so maybe its not that bad of a choice.