It's been rumored for years and it's finally coming: Katsuhiro Otomo's legendary Japanese sci-fi epic Akira is soon to be remade as a pair of live action films. Leonardo DiCaprio is producing. Ruari Robinson - who declined to answer my emails when I first heard these rumors a month or two back, silly man - will direct. The setting moves from New Tokyo to New Manhattan, with each film based on three volumes of the original six volume manga which means that despite the location shift for North American audiences, the longer run time means that these films may hold closer to the source material than did the Japanese anime version. The first film is due in 2009.
TETSUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
KANEDAAAAAAAAAAA!!!
Leonardo Dicaprio huh?
I don't know if this is good or bad! I mean, Ruairi Robinson hasn't had the experience to tackle a job like this. He did do the excellent short Silent City, but that hardly compares to a trilogy of one of the world's greatest loved films and comics. I'm sure his soul will be in the right place, but will he be able to pull it off?
OMGOMGOMGOMGOMG!!!!! If they follow the comics with the factions vying for power after the first Akira trigger and Tetsuo and the Moon?!!!! Dream come true if done right....
Just...no...this doesn't sound right at all. Unless they really follow the manga, and actually put together a good cast, and not Shia Lebouff (whatever you spell that) and other assorted teen robots.
As long as the original story line is not altered I will probably be the first in line to see it.
No. I don't see this ending well unless they find a way to replicate the grim atmosphere found in the manga (and anime).. I just hope the cast (whoever they will be) is up to this.
Sure most indicators are this will not be very good, but just the fact that DiCaprio is attached is enough to sell me on this. The guy doesn't align himself with bad projects so if he's thinks it's good I'll give him the benefit of the doubt. AICN is reporting that not only is he producing but he's also starring Gordon-Levitt will be playing Tetsuo...not a bad cast there. I'm not sold on this Robinson fellow with what I've seen of his -- but he's got to be doing something right to land such a huge project.
Is this gonna be shot all on a greenscreen? If not the budget would be like 200 mill, are they going to waste that on a first time director.
Hopefully they get a new director. How could they hand something this huge and this beloved to a guy who's only done a decent short film?
Ugh. I can't say I'm looking forward to this. I agree with indiemaker0583 that Akira is distinctly Japanese. I'm not saying they can't squeeze a decent film out of this, but it won't be what it was intended to be. This might be great for people who know nothing about Akira the same way The Departed was great for people who never saw Infernal Affairs. However, for a fan such as myself who loves the manga and the anime, this news just crushed all my hopes and dreams of a live action adaptation that stayed true to the original.
No, really now, as far as I remember, after going from repeated viewings of the anime to the manga, the thing that struck me most was how political the story is. There is a great deal of commentary on Japan's military relationship with America. Then you've got cult leaders, a greater cultural acceptance of the biotechnology that could lead to such an event, etc, etc, that are all comments on Japanese society that in many respects are still pertinent today - I can't actually fathom how the greater story is going to translate to an American setting. And if they are going for two films, then that does mean they intend to use a lot of those secondary plotlines, right?
Oh, looks like this is a major vanity project.
I'll say one semi good thing about all of this, Joseph Gordon Levitt has been confirmed now for Tetsuo. And I do love Joseph Gordon Levitt. He definetly has the capacity to play a character similar to Tetsuo. Although... While I'm sure he could play a geeky, tortured soul hell bent on destroying society.. He's far too attractive. The guy's become a major heart throb for women. I won't someone who actually looks like they're the type who's treated like shit by everyone around them. Plus, I guess his character name won't be tetsuo anymore huh?
Oh, and different web sites are confirming Leo as being Kaneda. WHAT?!!!! Leo is what, 34 or something right? ANd he's going to play a high school student. This keeps getting worse and worse.
Seriously, Hollywood has no shame in stealing material, won't they please just sell the rights to the name to another studio and just make this some unofficial rip off.
How the fuck can this possibly be Akira?!!! How? Obviously, the name is going to have to change to better suit this. Unless all the actors are going to be tape their eye lids to the sides to make them look asian or something.
So the basics will be there. Pyshic with powers after government experimentation, and telepathic link to a false god goes on rampage and former friends try to stop him. I mean, that could be any number of crappy sci-fi action films.
OK, New Manhatten and Di Caprio as Kaneda, both awful choices. New Manhatten being the worst choice. I have to agree with previous posters, the story is largely Japanese, post nukes. Being the only country to ever have Nukes dropped onit, that's kind of the point.
On the other hand Robinson getting to do a sci fi epic makes me super excited for this. Iv'e loved the three shorts iv'e seen from him, and this one fact makes me extremly excited for something I would otherwise only dread.
And two movies is a good choice. A trilogy is too much and a single film could have issues, I think two is good.
I'm backing Ruairi on this one. Think he can do something pretty cool. Was very impressed with the three short films he made, one of which was oscar nominated which people should check out - 'Fifty Percent Grey'.
And indiemaker - what's all this about Hollywood having no shame stealing material? Weren't you hawking your own Akira and Speed Racer ideas?
About that Neo-Tokyo vs. New-Manhattan thing:
It's true that Japan is the only country that got nuked during a war, but New York has recently had it's traumatic events as well.
Won't it be interesting to see what they do with the 9/11 context?
Toppling Manhattan's skyscrapers ("Fight Club"-like) is nowadays far less entertaining then before 2001, so I do think there is a wealth of material here to be explored.
Not saying I'm sure it has merit, but it certainly has a fighting chance...
It's like Oceans 11, where Sodeberg only used the name and the cache of the original but basically made a different film. I'm betting that those most pissed about Akira (will this even be called Akira in the end, and will it be pronounced Ah-keee-ra?) will be fans of the manga.
DiCaprio as Kaneda?!!!! It gets worse and worse. I can stomach Levitt... though, I'm not overly fond of the idea. Hollywood should just leave good things ALONE! Hollywood just has to make a remake of awesome movies, animes, and mangas and funk it all to the depths of hell. I don't think i can stomach anymore news about this disaster. I'm really steaming...
Jesus christ...no.