10 Upcoming Movie Adaptations Of Japanese Anime (And If They Will Work)
8. Akira
The Anime:
Based on Katsuhiro Otomo's classic 1980s cyberpunk manga, Akira takes place in a dystopian version of near-future Tokyo under the shadow of war. The feature length anime focuses on the first part of the story and follows a teenage biker named Tetsuo Shima as he goes against the wishes of his gang and uses his psychic powers to attempt to release fellow-psychic Akira, the cause of the explosion that destroyed the city and set World War Three in motion.
What We Know:
The phrase 'development hell' is perhaps overused in cinematic circles, though it truly is the best way to describe this project. Despite director Jaume Collet-Serra previously assuring fans that he was hard at work on a live-action remake of Akira in spite of budget issues, the Spaniard was unable to answer queries about potential release dates, encouraging reporters to take their questions to Warner Bros.
Will It Work?
If a live-action version of Akira does eventually make it to the big screen, the only thing that might stop it from being a success are the expectations surrounding the project. The hyper-real violence and stunning animation of the original helped to put anime on the map and Akira has a fierce cult following, though Collet-Serra (whom directed Liam Neeson action-thrillers Unknown, Non-Stop and Run All Night) seems a safe enough pair of hands.