Akira 2013

Akira Movie

Akira Movie Story

We’ve heard about a live action movie adaptation of Akira since quite a while, but the project was in development limbo. Well there’s reason to hope again: Warner Bros has hired the Hughes Brothers (who once brought us the Book of Eli) to helm the project. And Screenwriter Albert Torres is working on a new script. So hopefully, we’ll get to watch the movie Akira in a not too distant future.

An update about the Akira movie that we're still waiting for:

• - the Hughes brothers have been hired by Warner Bros to helm the project
• - Scriptwriter Albert Torres has been hired to pen a new screenplay for Akira

From what I heard they have some difficulty to come up with a satisfying script because of the complexity of the source material... So don't be too impatient, the movie Akira won't be released any soon...
I really hope that the planned trilogy adaptation of Akira by Hollywood will be even more kickass than the 1988 Akira animated movie: the Japanese animated movie was great but there is still a lot to exploit with Akira!

The Hollywood Reporter has a quite good plot summary for Akira, the animated movie:
"The story was set in a neon-lit futuristic post-nuclear war 'Neo-Tokyo' where a teen biker gang member is subjected to a government experiment which unleashes his latent powers."

The animated movie was an explosive mix: gorgeous ethnic music, amazing graphics, interesting characters and a vivid sci-fi plot. Check some of the videos to remember what was Akira:
I especially like the soundtrack of Akira by Geinoh Yamashirogumi, especially the tracks Kaneda and Dolls Polyphony!

I heard that the Hollywood movie would be closer to the Japanese manga comic book than the animated version. That is to say if you pass over the relocation of the story to New Manhattan, a city rebuilt with Japanese money following a cataclysmic event in a near future....

Anyway, in 2009, I won't miss the occasion to see Leonardo DiCaprio riding an hyper-boosted and hyper-high-tech red motorbike!
Warner Brothers will finally launch the production of the movie adaptation Akira, famousJapanese manga by anime artist Katsuhiro Otomo.
This adaptation should span over three movies, with at least the first instalment directed by Ruairi Robinson and scripted by Gary Whitta.

The first opus of Akira is being fast tracked for release in summer 2009.

Leonard DiCaprio, whose company Appian Way is also coproducing the movie, is likely to interpret the central role of Kaneda.

Like we said this movie is an adaptation: one striking difference is that the movie story will be set in "New Manhattan" instead of Neo-Tokyo in the Japanese manga.

Hard-line fans of Akira may object to such a change. But well, the movie adaptation is first targeting the American public. So such a change makes sense.

Plot:

A live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s epic 1982 Japanese graphic novel and 1988 anime feature. The new adaptation is set in a futuristic and post-war city, New Manhattan. “Akira” focuses on Kaneda, a biker gang member, as he tries to stop his best friend Tetsuo from releasing psycho-kinetic powers that could destroy New Manhattan. The latest screenplay is being rewritten by Steve Kloves (Harry Potter films & The Amazing Spider-Man) from an earlier draft by Albert Torres. “Akira” is being developed by Mad Chance Productions and Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way Productions for Warner Bros.. Hughes brothers (The Book of Eli) Albert Hughes and Allen Hughes will produce with Katsuhiro Otomo serving as executive producer.

“The story is set in a neon-lit futuristic post-nuclear war ‘Neo-Manhattan’ where a teen biker gang member is subjected to a government experiment which unleashes his latent powers.”

On one hand I’m sad they they still haven’t released this live-action movie adaptation of Akira, but on the other hand they better take time to do it right, don’t want to the movie Akira to be a let down!
The Hollywood cinema adaptation of Akira that should be released in 2009 is said to be closer to the Japanese manga than the animated movie.But well, they’re relocating the story to New Manhattan, a city rebuilt with Japanese money following an horrible explosion in a not-so-distant future…. The purist can but feel dizzy…

Rumours circulated a few years ago about an Akira project which was all set untill the budget was calculated to be in the region of $300,000,000, after which it was dumped. Chris Norrington was meant to direct so it was a good thing the project was scrapped. Well that is until today. This page will keep you uptodate on the new developments for the Akira Live Action film.

Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s 1988 anime Akira is a film that is difficult to describe without using the word “classic”. The movie dealt with mature post-a-bomb themes that were omnipresent in Japanese culture but had yet to find a mainstream audience.

So imagine our surprise/overwhelming joy when we learned that a remake had been scheduled for a 2013 release, and in live-action no less. The remake is to be directed by twin dynamos Albert and Allen Hughes who found critical and commercial acclaim with 1993′s ode to street-hustlers, Menace II Society. The brothers Hughes’ latest offerings have found the duo dipping into the graphic novel arena with 2001′s From Hell and this year’s The Book of Eli. Neither film was particularly exceptional but did mark a transition that seems to be complete with the Akira project that is readying for production.

Well there is good news and bad news from Albert Hughes, who got to talking about Akira in a recent radio interview. The good news? Akira will be broken up into two movies. Why is this good news you ask? Akira originated as a manga (Japanese comic book) that is over 2000 pages long. Even the relatively faithful 1988 film omitted huge chunks of the plot, so hopefully this version will satisfy the Akira fanboys. The bad news? A confirmed PG-13 rating. Considering that Akira doesn’t have a particularly mainstream audience in America I can see little reason to limit the intense, and visually pornographic, machine-from-the-ghost visuals that made the classic animation so bad-ass. But, box-office receipts do tend to rule the day . . .

We’ll bring you more Akira information as it becomes available.

‘Unknown’ Director to Helm Akira. Jaume Collet-Serra is attached to direct Warner Bros.’ planned live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s graphic novel and 1988 anime feature ‘Akira’. Collet-Serra directed Warner Bros.’ hit action thriller ‘Unknown’, starring Liam Neeson. ‘Akira’ was having a hard time getting off the ground. Albert Hughes was previously attached to direct, but exited due to creative differences back in May. ‘Akira’ centers on Kaneda, a biker gang member, as he tries to stop his best friend Tetsuo from releasing psycho-kinetic powers that could destroy New Manhattan.

About Akira Movie 2013:

• Title: Akira
• Directed by: Albert Hughes
• Written by: Albert Torres (Screenplay), Katsuhiro Otomo (Manga)
• Starring: Leonardo DiCaprio?
• Movie Release Date: TBA 2013
• Studio: Warner Bros. Pictures
• Genre: Action, Adventure, Science Fiction, Adaptation
• Screenwriter: Steve Kloves
• Starring: Unknown

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