Akira Hollywood Rape Uncancelled

[Raptor-chan]

http://www.sankakucomplex.com/wp-content/gallery/cache/49885__468x_akira-kaneda-bike-2d.jpg (http://www.sankakucomplex.com/wp-content/gallery/misc-images-xxviii/akira-kaneda-bike-2d.jpg)
A Hollywood theatrical adaptation of classic manga/anime Akira was previously thought to be safely cancelled (http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009/06/18/akira-saved-from-hollywoods-clutches/), but now it appears Warner Brothers has reanimated the project, and it is set to shamble forth from the grave, for release in 2011, with a sequel already on the cards…
The source froths enthusiastically (http://www.sankakucomplex.com/goto/http://www.collider.com/2009/09/07/exclusive-akira-movie-update/) about the impending disaster:


According to my source, screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, guys whose work I like, are about to turn in their version of an “Akira” movie and the reason why the project has been so quiet is they’ve been hard at work trying to get the script right.
For those that aren’t familiar with their work, they wrote the amazing adaptation of “Children of Men” and they’re also credited with “Iron Man” (although a lot of that movie was written on the set). But my point still stands that I like their work and I’m happy they’re taking a crack at it.
Also, while I couldn’t get a lot of info about what changes are being made from the anime to make the feature film work, I did confirm the story is still set in post-apocalyptic Manhattan in the near future. I also confirmed the famous motorcycle is definitely a part of the film, but that bit of info shouldn’t surprise anyone.
From what I could gather, the movie is still a priority for the studio, and if the script meets with approval from key people, the movie could go into production in 2010 with a release date in 2011. Also, this isn’t going to be some mid-range budget movie. If the film goes into production, it’s going to be one of those BIG event movies.
Of course, everything I just wrote is based on a lot of factors, but that’s where the project currently stands. Anyone hoping for an “Akira” live-action movie should cross their fingers that Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby’s screenplay is great and everyone involved gets excited. I’ll have more on this story as I hear it.
Lest you forget, this is set to be a Dragonball-esque (http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009/02/19/dragonball-evolution-sequel-ready-for-production/) Hollywood star vehicle (Leonardo DiCaprio was rumoured to be involved), now set in New Manhattan and looking set to dispense with every aspect of the original, save its big red bikes and gang violence.
With the chances of a character called “Akira” even appearing in the feature looking slim, it seems obvious the only objective of the project is the usual ferocious cash-in of the kind of quality IP Hollywood so desperately lacks…
http://www.sankakucomplex.com/wp-content/gallery/cache/49884__468x_kaneda-akira-bike.jpg (http://www.sankakucomplex.com/wp-content/gallery/misc-images-xxviii/kaneda-akira-bike.jpg)




Courtesy: Sankaku Complex

[Rodimus]

Now it's gone from bad to worse with the Akira movie project. According to sources, High School Musical "Zac Efron" has been cast for the lead role of Kaneda.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v626/Rodimus80/81006__468x_akira-zac-efron-1.jpg


Hollywood’s pending rape of Akira (http://www.sankakucomplex.com/2009/09/09/akira-hollywood-rape-uncancelled/), set to be a PG-13 action flick set in New York, is rumoured to be casting actor Zac Efron, star of such dark and gritty classics as High School Musical, in the lead role of hooligan biker Kaneda.
The rumoured casting decision (http://www.sankakucomplex.com/goto/http://www.slashfilm.com/2010/11/05/rumor-zac-efron-albert-hughes-akira/) in detail:

Another rumor which is making the tracking board rounds today is that Zac Efron has apparently been offered the lead role in Albert Hughes’ upcoming live-action adaptation of the popular anime/Katsuhiro Otomo’s six-volume manga Akira. I’m not able to confirm the offer, but one source tells me Efron is in talks, while another says that it is “far from a done deal.”
[...]
Last we heard, producer Andrew Lazar said that Hughes is was busy “conceptualizing the movie with a bunch of visual artists” and working with a new screenwriter, Albert Torres (Henry Poole Is Here), to put his stamp on Akira.
That draft was due in September. Hughes has also talked about the film being PG-13 and the idea that he might only direct the first of two planned films. (One adapting the first three manga volumes, and the second volumes four through six.)
The previous screenplay was set in a post-apocalyptic “New Manhattan” and will feature Akira’s famous red motorcycle. The original Katsuhiro Otomo anime was set in a futuristic and post-war city, Neo-Tokyo, in 2019. As for the casting, here is an excerpt from a previous posting by Russ Fischer:
No cast has ever publicly revealed to be attached. The involvement of Appian Way led many to suspect that DiCaprio would star as the teen biker Kaneda, despite being demonstrably too old for the part, but the actor publicly denied any involvement beyond producing duties.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was rumored to be in mind for Tetsuo, the friend of Kaneda whose psychic powers are awakened, setting of a cataclysmic chain of destructive events in Neo-Tokyo. He also denied any attachment.
It seems the red motorcycle is all that will survive Hollywood’s “vision” for the adaptation.


Courtsey of Sankaku Complex

[Elfy]

ewww...Zac Efron?

No way!!!

[Raptor-chan]

Update to Rodi's update:


Efron Not Starring in Akira, Mandate Nixes Oldboy Rumor

Hollywood reps address recent casting rumors for manga film adaptations
The GossipCop website reports on Thursday that a representative for the Hughes Brothers, who are attached to direct a live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira, has stated that recent rumors that actor Zac Efron (High School Musical) has been offered the lead role in the film are "not true." Warner Bros. has not responded to ANN's requests for comments on this rumor. Warner Bros. has also not responded to ANN's requests for comments on the rumor that Morgan Freeman (The Dark Knight, Red) has been offered the role of "the Colenol" (Colonel Shikishima) in the same film.

A representative from Mandate Pictures has told ANN on Wednesday that recent rumors that Mark Protosevich (I Am Legend, Poseidon) is working on a nearly-complete script for a live-action adaptation of Nobuaki Minegishi and Garon Tsuchiya's Old Boy are "all Internet rumor mill" and that the company does not have information about the film to share at this time. The Japanese publisher Futabasha stated its support for a planned Hollywood movie adaptation of the manga last year.

Courtesy: ANN

[Rodimus]

UPDATE



Do you remember back in November when there were rumors (http://screencrave.com/2010-11-05/zac-efron-offered-lead-role-in-akira/) about Zac Efron (http://screencrave.com/person/Zac-Efron) starring in the Akira (http://screencrave.com/tag/Akira) movie? Well, now there’s news that another actor has dibs on a primary role in the film. According to a report from JustJared (http://justjared.buzznet.com/2011/02/11/james-franco-akira/?ref=topposts), Oscar nominee James Franco (http://screencrave.com/person/James-Franco) is in talks to star. For some of you this could be considered a good and a bad thing. It’s great because the film might be out of Efron’s orbit, but bad because Franco doesn’t exactly fit in with the Akira world.

Warner Bros will join forces with Leonardo DiCaprio’s (http://screencrave.com/person/Leonardo-DiCaprio) production company Appian Way to take on the big screen adaptation. The movie will be based on anime artist Katsuhiro Otomo’s 6-volume graphic novel that’s become a worldwide phenomenon among fans. For years there’s been talk of adapting the property but the majority of the plans have fallen through — until now.
The studio has hired Albert Hughes to direct the feature, and Franco is in talks to play Kaneda. Hmm, not to be funny but Franco doesn’t look like a Kaneda to us. Are they going to keep all the Asian names and settings but hire Caucasian actors? That doesn’t make any sense.
Is it just us, or are they trying to cast this man in EVERYTHING?!


Courtesy of ScreenCrave (http://screencrave.com/2011-02-11/james-franco-cast-in-akira/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+screencrave+%28ScreenCrave%29 )

[Rodimus]

UPDATE:



Leonardo di Caprio’s Hollywood adaptation of classic psychic blob anime Akira will apparently star James Edward Franco as Kaneda, with the previously reported Zac Efron having proven unavailable.

There will also apparently be not one but two movies, as the work has been split into two parts based on volumes 1-3 and 4-6 of the manga.

There is no suggestion his character will be called Kaneda, and as the story has been shifted to the streets of post-apocalyptic “New Manhattan” the only remaining connection to the original appears to the outline of the story (if left intact) and the title of the movie, which may no longer refer to any character left in the film.

Just get better and better [/sacism]

[Rodimus]

UPDATE




http://www.empireonline.com/images/point.gif After being poked and prodded through the dusty halls of development by any number of screenwriters, it would appear that the seemingly inevitable live action version of Akira is finally getting ready to step in front of the camera in August thanks to a recent draft of the script by Harry Potter veteran Steve Kloves. (http://www.empireonline.com/News/story.asp?nid=30217)And now, according to Deadline, it’s in such good shape that Warner Bros. is now sending it out to a batch of actors to try to lock in the leads, with Andrew Garfield, Robert Pattinson and James McAvoy all said to feature on the studio’s wish list. (http://www.deadline.com/2011/03/akira-focuses-on-short-list-of-actors-after-getting-steve-kloves-rewrite/)
Of course, most of the people that Warners is after won’t exactly be a surprise. Like those names above, they’re all known quantities that the studio thinks could get bums in seats for a film.
Pattinson, Garfield and McAvoy are all apparently under consideration for choice role Tetsuo, while Tron Legacy’s Garrett Hedlund, X-Men: First Class’ Michael Fassbender, Star Trek’s Chris Pine, The Social Network’s Justin Timberlake and the recently-not-so-retired Joaquin Phoenix are being sent scripts flagging up the role of fellow protagonist Kaneda (a name that, thanks to the anime version, we can only ever pronounce by screaming it aloud when talking about it.)
Book of Eli co-director Albert Hughes is apparently also loves the new draft, which will attempt to cram Katsuhiro Otomo’s massive manga into two films that will tackle three books each.
While Deadline believes the two roles will be filled by one of the actors from each list, we’ll keep waiting to see whether an unexpected name crops up…


Courtesy of Empireonline

[Rodimus]

Latest News...

It appears that Warner Bros's are in talked with Keanu Reeves to take on the role as Kaneda.......

You can read the article HERE (http://www.empireonline.com/news/story.asp?NID=30902)

[Rodimus]

Latest News from Ain't It Cool



Mike over at JoBlo has some interesting insight into the status of the live-action AKIRA movie that has refused to come together so far.
Not too long ago, we learned that Keanu Reeves was in early talks to star in the picture (details HERE (http://www.aintitcool.com/node/49544)). JoBlo is now saying that not only has Keanu officially passed on the project, but...
Early Thursday morning, some time after receiving word from Reeves' reps that he would be passing on the project, Warner Bros. shut down AKIRA's pre-viz department and most of the staff that was working on the film was let go. While it may be easy to draw conclusions when you see both events taking place in the same week, I'm told that one has nothing to do with the other.
All per THIS (http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/exclusive-keanu-reeves-passes-on-akira-so-whats-next) piece at JoBlo.
This statement from Warners attempts to further clarify what's happening at the moment.
"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."
A while back I encountered a similarly worded statement from a different studio (Sony) addressing purported troubles on Sam Raimi's SPIDER-MAN 4 - that picture fully imploded a week or two later. I am in no way asserting the same thing will happen with AKIRA...just making an observation...