EXCLUSIVE: 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. There are two major roles, and I'm told that for Tetsuo, Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield and James McAvoy have been given the new script. For the role of Kaneda, the script has been given to Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake and Joaquin Phoenix. The two leads are expected to come from that group of actors. Andrew Lazar is producing with Appian Way’s Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran. Akira has been one of Warner Bros' high priority projects since the studio with Legendary Pictures acquired it for a 7-figure sum 2 years ago from manga publisher Kodansha. The intention has been to make 2 films, each covering 3 books in the series. Akira was first adapted for the screen in 1988.
http://www.deadline.com/2011/03/akira-focuses-on-short-list-of-actors-after-getting-steve-kloves-rewrite/
― max, Tuesday, 22 March 2011 03:59 (thirteen years ago) link
The story takes place in the rebuilt New Manhattan
And I just fell asleep.
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 22 March 2011 04:03 (thirteen years ago) link
this promises to be Albert Hughes' finest movie since FROM HELL
― ℳℴℯ ❤\(◕‿◕✿ (Princess TamTam), Tuesday, 22 March 2011 04:21 (thirteen years ago) link
i almost can't believe this is real
http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-actual-live-action-akira-script-worse-than-you-think/
The only way they could be more overt would be to pencil in a new friend for Tetsuo named Ground Zero, whose only line of dialogue is "Never Forget!" screamed over a sound loop of eagles screeching. I'm only slightly exaggerating. In the intro to the movie, right as Akira is destroying the city for the first time, a grieving mother looks down at her children, Kaneda and Tetsuo, and one of the final lines out of her mouth, as the actual disaster is happening around them, is:MOTHERDon't ever forget.Oh, that's another point: Kaneda and Tetsuo are brothers now, and in their early thirties. That's not the only change, either. Kaneda is now a bitter, jaded blackmarket doctor, and Tetsuo is a shell-shocked, tortured junkie, alienated from the world.
MOTHER
Don't ever forget.
Oh, that's another point: Kaneda and Tetsuo are brothers now, and in their early thirties. That's not the only change, either. Kaneda is now a bitter, jaded blackmarket doctor, and Tetsuo is a shell-shocked, tortured junkie, alienated from the world.
PLATOON LEADERIt's alright, Akira. Nobody's going to hurt you, son. Just come with us. And it'll all be fine.The Little Boy looks up, HIS HAIR STANDING ON END, EMITTING A GENTLE PULSE OF STATIC ELECTRICITY as he begins to hum a slow, haunting version of "Frere Jacques." It chills to the bone.
It's alright, Akira. Nobody's going to hurt you, son. Just come with us. And it'll all be fine.
The Little Boy looks up, HIS HAIR STANDING ON END, EMITTING A GENTLE PULSE OF STATIC ELECTRICITY as he begins to hum a slow, haunting version of "Frere Jacques." It chills to the bone.
― cum dude (Princess TamTam), Tuesday, 12 April 2011 00:04 (thirteen years ago) link
Oh. Oh joy.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 3 November 2011 20:47 (twelve years ago) link
Don't worry, folks, the American version IS dead (for now at least) but this is cool:
http://io9.com/5943526/these-unused-american-akira-storyboards-are-actually-quite-gorgeous
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 15 September 2012 19:30 (twelve years ago) link
those look pretty true to the source
― the late great, Saturday, 15 September 2012 20:06 (twelve years ago) link
IT LIVES
http://io9.com/akira-movie-lives-on-despite-everyone-trying-to-kill-i-1001620450
― Ned Raggett, Friday, 2 August 2013 15:55 (eleven years ago) link
It's a real shame that this seems to have been dragged along in the undertow of lots of bad contemporary disaster movies, because those haunting pictures of a destroyed Tokyo (especially in the comic) and the sheer strangeness of the telepaths aren't so distinctive.
― cardamon, Saturday, 3 August 2013 01:57 (eleven years ago) link
*are
That line was going to be 'aren't like anything else' but I guess they must have precursors
― cardamon, Saturday, 3 August 2013 01:58 (eleven years ago) link
Rewatching this right now for class... probably haven't seen it since 1996 or something. I'd always kind of written it off in a doth-protest-too-much way - anime's not all stylized violence guys, not just that Akira stuff! But's holding up really well... so freakily disjointed and weird. Really nice to finally see it in Japanese with subtitles, much as I loved Leonardo the ninja turtle screaming TETSUUOOO four hundred times.
― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 6 November 2013 04:58 (ten years ago) link
oh ha ha i see we already got into that upthread
― Doctor Casino, Wednesday, 6 November 2013 04:59 (ten years ago) link
https://www.facebook.com/projectakira
this is great
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1GO-93Nt3c#t=201
― how's life, Sunday, 11 May 2014 01:12 (ten years ago) link
Saw the movie on a big screen for the first time in like 17 years. Still a mindfuck.
― Stephen King's Threaderstarter (kingfish), Sunday, 7 September 2014 21:17 (ten years ago) link
www.npr.org/2016/03/17/470558333/first-listen-bwana-capsules-pride
― adam, Thursday, 17 March 2016 14:27 (eight years ago) link
oh awesome that this was bumped for the bwana album, which is AMAZING. caused me to rewatch the movie the other night, but i guess i watched it so much when i was a teenager that i still have it memorized?
― HYPERLINK TO RAP GENIUS (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 March 2016 19:24 (eight years ago) link
i also read the comic last year and was surprised to find i like the movie more? like the expanded characterization and plot and political stuff is all great but i love how ambiguous parts of the movie are. there's really nothing ambiguous about the comic
― HYPERLINK TO RAP GENIUS (BradNelson), Wednesday, 30 March 2016 19:25 (eight years ago) link
I made it through the first two books of the comic. Haven't felt inclined to finish up.
― how's life, Wednesday, 30 March 2016 19:25 (eight years ago) link
but the art!
― 0 / 0 (lukas), Wednesday, 30 March 2016 19:55 (eight years ago) link
This is a little old, and apparently based off of a comic book, but I hadn't seen it until just now.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0SWt6OQ4Nl4
― how's life, Friday, 29 April 2016 12:01 (eight years ago) link
hahaaaaaa awesome.
― sisterhood of the baggering vance (Doctor Casino), Friday, 29 April 2016 12:05 (eight years ago) link
that's great
― jason waterfalls (gbx), Friday, 29 April 2016 12:29 (eight years ago) link
I have just bought the bluray. I am looking forward to watching this for the first time in... 20 years?
― Hey Bob (Scik Mouthy), Tuesday, 3 October 2017 12:58 (six years ago) link
currently on netflix (uk), am gonna watch for the first time in... well over 20 years?
not currently on netflix uk: hey duggee including the future badge episode
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EJkQ6q7XUAErQlV.jpg
― Believe me, grow a lemon tree. (ledge), Tuesday, 31 August 2021 10:28 (three years ago) link
and this is the disappeared youtube link upthread (for Bartkira the Animated Trailer):
― Believe me, grow a lemon tree. (ledge), Tuesday, 31 August 2021 10:29 (three years ago) link
Watching the subtitled version in a theater was a Good Idea for the day.
― Ned Raggett, Thursday, 27 October 2022 00:27 (one year ago) link