Screen Rant » akira

Abandoned ‘Akira’ Storyboards Tease An American Cyberpunk Flick

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 17:32:46 +0000

Before the Hughes Brothers came (and left) as directors on Warner Bros.’ currently-stalled Akira adaptation – which Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown) remains attached to helm – the project was slated to be overseen by Oscar-nominated Irish animation/sci-fi short filmmaker Ruairi Robinson.

A handful of abandoned storyboards for Robinson’s take on the Americanized Akira have popped up online, offering a peek at the original planned visual design of the film – based on conceptual panels illustrated by Sylvain Despretz (Black Hawk Down, The Fountain, TRON: Legacy).

Have a look at Despretz’ Akira storyboard work in the gallery below (click each panel for a larger version):

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Jonathan Nolan Being Eyed To Re-Write ‘Akira’

Sandy Schaefer — Mon, 09 Jan 2012 19:05:17 +0000

The live-action American version of Akira is a fascinating beast. Fans of the original cult Japanese comic book/animated movie are (almost) universally against it, the majority of casual moviegoers are unfamiliar with the source material, and it’s a project that has nearly died multiple times without even getting past the development stage. And yet, Warner Bros. just refuses to give up on it completely.

Studio heads have halted production on Akira, with initial reports claiming that it was due to budgetary concerns. Now, however, word has gotten out that it’s because Warner Bros. simply wants the film’s screenplay reworked again - and they’re eying some pretty noteworthy talent for the job.

Variety has it on good authority (re: according to its insiders) that WB isn’t primarily interested in slashing Akira‘s budget down even further from the already-reduced ...

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Warner Bros. Halts Production on ‘Akira’

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 05 Jan 2012 20:51:54 +0000

In what is surely to be great news for those moviegoers who hate the recent overflow of reboots and remakes, it seems as though Warner Bros.’ big-budget Americanized version of Akira has hit a wall. Production on the film has reportedly been shut down, the crew sent home, and the production offices in Vancouver have closed their doors.

The issue? Too big a budget for such a big gamble.

Again, fans of the classic Akira anime film and manga source material are going to see this as a no-brainer; the disdain for this project has been palpable ever since it was resurrected from limbo back in 2009; recent news like Unknown director Jaume Collet-Serra taking the helm, or TRON Legacy star Garrett Hedlund taking on the leading role of Kaneda, ...

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Possible ‘Akira’ Plot Summary Released

Sandy Schaefer — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 19:30:23 +0000

Warner Bros.’ decision to press ahead with a live-action Americanized take on the cult-favorite anime/manga Akira has proven very unpopular with hardcore fans of the allegorical Japanese sci-fi property. Nonetheless, the project is indeed moving forward, so now it remains to be seen how exactly director Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan, Unknown) will adapt the story to a futuristic U.S. setting.

A possible plot synopsis has been released for the new Akira, which is reportedly set to begin filming in Canada by Spring 2012. While the aforementioned plot summary is (in many ways) identical to that of its inspiration(s), there are a few noteworthy differences.

Here is the supposed Akira synopsis, as posted on Acting Auditions (note: the actors/actresses listed here have not yet been officially confirmed to star in the film):

Kaneda (Garrett Hedlund) is a ...

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Gary Oldman Passes On ‘Akira’; Ken Watanabe Now Being Sought

Sandy Schaefer — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 14:41:27 +0000

Nothing seems to get the blood of fans boiling faster nowadays than the mentioning of Warner Bros.’ live-action Americanized adaptation of Akira. However, while some of the film’s important roles could possibly be filled by less-popular young stars like Garrett Hedlund and Kristen Stewart, respectable stars like Gary Oldman and numerous well-regarded young actors have been approached to tackle other pivotal parts in the film.

Reports are now in that a deal has failed to materialize between Warner Bros. and Oldman, meaning the latter will not play “The Colonel” in Akira. However, another acclaimed actor – one who is also (gasp!) Japanese – has been offered the role.

Twitch says that, since Warner Bros. was “unable to close the deal” with Oldman, they are now looking to bring Academy Award-nominee Ken Watanabe onboard ...

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‘Akira’ Casting Shortlist Reveals New Tetsuo Candidates

Sandy Schaefer — Mon, 21 Nov 2011 16:50:45 +0000

Warner Bros. is seemingly anxious to get production going on Akira, a live-action Americanized treatment of the cult anime/manga that is being directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown).

The studio has essentially locked down Garrett Hedlund for one of the lead roles, continues to actively pursue Gary Oldman for an important supporting part, recently offered the female lead role to Kristen Stewart, and is now testing multiple up-and-coming actors for the other male lead role of Tetsuo (though previously-rumored candidate Ezra Miller is not among them).

Heat Vision says that “key screentests” were held over the past weekend and will continue on today, in order to find a suitable thespian to portray Tetsuo. In Akira, the character is a motorcycle gang punk who is captured by a futuristic U.S. government and subjected to ...

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Kristen Stewart Offered ‘Akira’ Role

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:07:42 +0000

Warner Bros.’ Americanized live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s acclaimed Japanese comic book/animated movie, Akira, has evolved significantly over the past twelve months. Case in point: around this time in 2010, the Hughes Brothers (The Book of Eli) were onboard to helm the project, which was then budgeted at around $140 million and rumored to feature the likes of Zac Efron and Morgan Freeman in pivotal roles.

Jump to the present and Akira‘s budget has reportedly been reduced to (at least) $90 million; Jaume Collet-Serra is signed on as director; Steve Kloves has rewritten the script; and actors such as Garrett Hedlund and Gary Oldman are being actively pursued to handle the lead parts in the film.

Keira Knightley has been touted as a possibility to play one of the important supporting (female) roles ...

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‘Akira’ and ‘Die Hard 5′ Casting Shortlist Roundup [Updated]

Sandy Schaefer — Sat, 05 Nov 2011 18:07:39 +0000

It’s a good time to be a youthful up-and-coming actor in Hollywood. Readings for several high-profile tentpole projects – in need of young stars – will be held over the upcoming week(s), including ones for: Warner Bros.’ (heavily-criticized) Americanized adaptation of the cult anime/manga, Akira, and 20th Century Fox’s latest installment in the Die Hard franchise, A Good Day to Die Hard.

Bruce Willis is set to reprise his iconic role as John McClane in the fifth Die Hard, but the search is ongoing for a fitting candidate to portray the maverick cop’s biological son. Meanwhile, Garrett Hedlund looks all but set to portray the biker gang leader Kaneda in Akira; the other pivotal male lead role in the film, however, has yet to be filled.

THR says that there are ...

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Gary Oldman Being Eyed For ‘Arthur & Lancelot’; Still Wanted For ‘Akira’

Sandy Schaefer — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 15:32:28 +0000

News that Warner Bros. has offered Gary Oldman a pivotal supporting role in the upcoming Americanized take on Akira leaked out a couple weeks ago. Now, it seems, the studio still wants him for that part; however, Oldman is also the top choice to appear in the studio’s latest cinematic spin on the Arthurian legend, Arthur & Lancelot.

Both of these projects are slowly, but surely, coming together. Akira appears to have all but locked-down one of its leads, in the form of Garrett Hedlund, and the Arthur adaptation is eying The Killing star Joel Kinnaman for its Lancelot role.

Deadline is confirming that Oldman would star in Akira as “The Colonel”, a.k.a. Colonel Shikishima in Katsuhiro Otomo’s original Akira anime/manga. The character oversees a secret government operation that involves testing ...

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Garrett Hedlund In Talks to Play ‘Akira’ Lead

Kofi Outlaw — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:33:11 +0000

Many fans of the Japanese manga-turned-anime Akira were glad when Warner Bros.’ planned adaptation of the cult-classic sci-fi tale hit a wall. However, since losing both The Hughes Brothers (Book of Eli) as directors and Keanu Reeves as a potential star, WB’s Akira has pushed ahead into production under the guidance of Unknown director Jaume Collet-Serra.

Rumors about who will star in Akira‘s two key leading roles – that of biker gang leader Kaneda and biker-turned-psychic-powerhouse, Tetsuo – have been running rampant for some time. Today, however, we learn that one of those roles is close to being filled.

We previously reported that TRON: Legacy star Garrett Hedlund (who has been on WB’s shortlist for Akira for some time) was the frontrunner for the role of Kaneda, and now Variety ...

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Gary Oldman & Helena Bonham Carter Offered ‘Akira’ Roles

Sandy Schaefer — Mon, 24 Oct 2011 14:22:36 +0000

Based on the collective online response to Warner Bros.’ recent decision to greenlight a live-action reworking of Akira, you’d be forgiven for believing that literally no one on the planet (other than a few studio heads) actually thinks this project is a good idea.

TRON: Legacy‘s leading man Garret Hedlund is – for better or for worse – said to be the top contender to headline the new Akira movie, which will be an Americanized take on the acclaimed Japanese comic book/animated movie created by Katsuhiro Otomo. However, he could potentially be surrounded by some well-respected acting talent.

Twitch has it on good authority that Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter have been offered roles in director Jaume Collet-Serra‘s Akira remake. Oldman is reportedly being eyed for the role of “The Colonel” ...

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‘Akira’ Remake Officially Greenlit; Garrett Hedlund May Star

Sandy Schaefer — Thu, 20 Oct 2011 14:40:08 +0000

Fans of Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1988 animated adaptation of his own 2,000 + page manga (re: Japanese comic book) Akira once again started gnashing their teeth earlier this week when news got out that Warner Bros. was on the verge of either greenlighting a live-action Americanized remake of the former… or sending the project back to development hell.

Reports are in that the studio will in fact press ahead with the Akira project – and that currently-attached Spanish helmer Jaume Collet-Serra already has a potential leading man in mind.

Variety says the decision to move ahead with the Akira remake was actually “sealed” this past weekend. When Collet-Serra was hired on as director (to replace Albert Hughes) this past summer, the film’s estimated budget had reportedly been brought down to $90 ...

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‘Akira’ Live-Action Remake Production Update

Sandy Schaefer — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 14:41:53 +0000

Many a film buff is still fuming over Hollywood’s decision to offer its own spin on a cult piece of Asian cinema – namely, Oldboy. However, the Americanized remake that really seems to have angered the masses is Warner Bros.’ proposed live-action take on director Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1988 manga (re: Japanese comic book) adaptation, Akira.

We haven’t heard anything about the project since Jaume Collet-Serra signed on as the new director, this past summer. However, according to the latest report, the film could (or may not) be greenlit within a week from the time of writing this.

Iron Man co-scribers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby’s original draft of the Akira remake’s screenplay has seemingly undergone some serious revisions over the past year – what with people like Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli), Albert Torres ...

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‘Unknown’ Director Jaume Collet-Serra to Direct ‘Akira’ Remake

Rob Frappier — Fri, 15 Jul 2011 12:50:50 +0000

According to a new report, director Jaume Collet-Serra is set to direct the long-gestating live-action Akira remake. That’s right – a Spanish director is helming an American remake of a classic Japanese anime. How very international!

Prior to Collett-Serra’s confirmation, several directors were attached to the project, most notably Albert Hughes (The Book of Eli). However, Hughes left the project in May about a week after Keanu Reeves passed on playing the lead in the film, leading to a fresh round of contenders.

As noted in Variety, Collett-Serra is a relatively smart (and safe) choice to direct the project. Since his directorial debut with the horror film House of Wax (which was mostly memorable for impaling the God-awful Paris Hilton), Collett-Serra has successfully taken on a range of increasingly large-scale projects. Most recently, ...

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Director Albert Hughes Exits ‘Akira’

Ben Kendrick — Thu, 26 May 2011 21:23:37 +0000

Warner Bros.’ Akira project has seen more than its fair share of ups and downs (mostly downs) in the last year – and now the film may be taking one of its most substantial blows yet.

Albert Hughes (of the Hughes Brothers), the man responsible for Dead Presidents, Menace II Society, and most recently The Book of Eli has left the Akira project. While not exactly a favorite among fans, the director’s exodus leaves the already trouble production flailing for direction.

Deadline reports that Hughes is definitely out of the film – and headed to L.A. to speak with his agency and start looking at other scripts. While the report doesn’t specify, it is likely that the director’s departure is centered around the growing chasm between the studio’s aspirations for the ...

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Keanu Reeves Passes On ‘Akira’; Project Still Moving Forward

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 17 May 2011 22:13:15 +0000

Fans have generally greeted the news that Warner Bros. is actively developing a live-action adaptation of the cult Japanese comic book-turned animated movie, Akira, with downright hostility. The studio didn’t do itself any favors when it (reportedly) had offered the lead role of streetwise biker Kaneda to Zac Efron last year. Feelings about the project only partially softened when news broke about some high-profile names being approached to take on that lead role – including the most recent candidate, Keanu Reeves.

Reeves, however, has officially passed on the chance to star in Akira, and that decision quickly led to speculation that the expensive sci-fi project was in trouble of slipping off its pre-production track into development limbo.

JoBlo has the scoop on the Akira situation, which Warner Bros. addressed in the following ...

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Keanu Reeves In Talks For ‘Akira’ [Updated]

Kofi Outlaw — Fri, 06 May 2011 21:17:28 +0000

[Update: Keanu Reeves has officially passed on the role of Kaneda in Akira. Read the updated report - HERE.]

The Hollywood Reporter is dropping the exclusive that Keanu Reeves is in early talks to join the cast of the Hughes Brothers’ (The Book of Eli) live-action adaptation of the classic manga-turned-anime film, Akira.

Word is that Reeves is being eyed for the headlining role of Kaneda, the leader of a futuristic biker gang who finds himself embroiled in a conspiracy involving his kidnapped best friend, government experiments, and dangerous psychic abilities.

Aside from some amusing name jokes (Keanu, Kaneda, Keanu, Kaneda) this news is likely to be as welcome amongst Akira fans as the news that Warner Bros. was making this movie in the first place. The project has had several ...

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‘Akira’ Movie Eyeing Shortlist of Actors for Leading Roles

Sandy Schaefer — Tue, 22 Mar 2011 13:50:11 +0000

Early fan reactions have been tepid at best with regards to the news that Warner Bros. is developing an Americanized, live-action adaptation of the cult Japanese comic book/animated film Akira. Previous reports that the movie will be Rated PG-13 and could star Zac Efron were generally not received in an optimistic light, either.

Now there’s word that no less than eight actors have been sent Steve Kloves’ reworking of the original script for the new Akira. Five of these gentlemen are vying for the role of punk bike gang leader Kaneda, and three for the part of Tetsuo – Kaneda’s best friend-turned-government-experiment-gone-horribly-wrong.

In our Akira script review, we learned that the original draft penned by Iron Man scribers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby shifted the setting of the story ...

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‘Harry Potter’ Screenwriter To Rework ‘Akira’ Script

Sandy Schaefer — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 18:14:02 +0000

There’s been an overall negative reaction to the news that Warner Bros. is developing an Americanized, live-action adaptation of the cult Japanese comic book Akira, and early impressions of the script were fairly mixed as well.

Studio heads also seem to feel that the Akira screenplay could use some polishing, and have recruited Harry Potter franchise alumni Steve Kloves to handle the job.

Variety is reporting that Kloves will be the fifth screenwriter involved in crafting the script for Akira, which will be directed by the Hughes Brothers. The first draft was penned by Iron Man/Cowboys & Aliens scribers Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, before the Hughes’ Book of Eli screenwriter, Gary Whitta, took a stab at the script. Albert Torres (whose sole writing credit is for ...

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James Franco May Star In ‘Akira’

Sandy Schaefer — Sun, 13 Feb 2011 15:51:25 +0000

It’s a James Franco world and we’re all living in it – at least, that’s the impression around the Hollywood water cooler lately. The latest bit of news concerning the former Freaks and Geeks lad pegs him as possibly starring in Warner Bros.’ big-budget, live-action adaptation of the 1980s Japanese comic book series, Akira.

This story comes just a week after Franco was rumored to be the most recent prospective star of Oz, the Great and Powerful, which would reunite him with his Spider-Man trilogy director, Sam Raimi. That’s not to mention Franco’s plans to shoot As I Lay Dying this summer, which he announced back at the end of January.

Filmmakers Albert and Allen Hughes (The Book of Eli) are collaborating with Iron Man/Cowboys & Aliens co-screenwriters Mark Fergus ...

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