Deadline says:
The script for the Warner Bros/Legendary Pictures live action adaptation of anime artist Katsuhiro Otomo’s 6-volume graphic novel Akira has been sent to a short list of actors. The picture is finally taking shape for an August start, following the delivery of a rewrite by Steve Kloves that has director Albert Hughes and the studio brass excited. The story takes place in the rebuilt New Manhattan where a leader of a biker gang saves his friend from a medical experiment.
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Akira was the very 1st Anime movie I ever watched and instantly I was a huge fan. To say I'm a huge fan would be an understatement - I know the characters dialogue line for line, I own the VHS release, the Graphic Novels, 2 different releases of the DVD, the BluRay release, Posters, Wall scrolls, the soundtrack and T-shirts.
To me, this feels like a raping. Americanizing the locale and the actors is a kick to the pills of Katsuhiro Otomo and the fans of the story. While the animated feature isn't totally true to the story(it really only touches on about 1/4 of the whole adventure) it does the series justice. The only way to tell this story in a live action venture is to use Japanese actors and do a scene for scene remake of the cartoon(which will still cause confusion for many who don't know the whole story) OR span it over multiple movies all filmed back to back and released as such.
Not to say anything against the actors that are on the short list but I'm not buying the potential casting decision. Further to that I'm not saying that I'll boycott the movie because let's be honest - nothing could keep me away from seeing it - and I want the movie to be awesome. I just can't see how it could feel like Akira taking this direction.
If they somehow (odds are against them IMHO) make a great movie or series, I'll eat my words.
Suddenly, I'm not very interested in this movie. Honestly I have to say my interest wasn't that high to begin with. I love Akira, so why not leave the classic alone? It's fantastic as it is, and it's very unlikely that any adaptation will be able to live up to the same spirit that the anime had. Just let it be.
It's not bad enough that they want to change NeoTokyo to NeoNewYork and americanize the cast, but a casting of Robert Pattison or Justin Timberlake as Kaneda - Well that just makes my stomach turn. Knowing that Mila Kunis is reportedly attached as well makes me wonder who she's going to play. My guess is Tetsuos girlfriend Kaori which I have no issue with. She has a sort of exotic look so it's conceivable that one of her parents could be Japanese in the movie.
@Crazay
LOL, oh man, I can tell how worked up you're getting about this already and it's just cracking me up. Yet another reason why I think they should have just left this property alone...or stayed very true to it.
I Have a face for radio my friend. Not TV. You won't want to hear the colorful things I can come up with when under duress. =P