Hughes Brothers in Talks for Live Action Akira Movie
Looks like another on-again/off-again remake is back on the rebound. In 2008, Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company Appian Way picked up the rights to do a live action adaptation of the classic 1988 anime film Akira. The project had been rumoured for years prior to that, with Blade director Steven Norrington attached back in 2003. Although there were some rumblings that the project had been shelved, it was actually just getting a new script courtesy of Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (Iron Man, Children of Men). Now this week we have a report on a possible director… or should I say, directors.
According to Vulture, Warner Brothers are currently in talks with The Hughes Brothers to direct the Hollywood version of Akira. As previously reported, the story will likely be broken up into two separate movies. The Hughes Brothers may seem like a good fit since they just finished work on a post-apocalyptic story of their own with The Book of Eli. Prior to that, their last film was From Hell in 2001. I’ll definitely take them over Stephen Norrington any day, but I still don’t know that I have high hopes for this project. What do you think, can the Hughes Brothers succeed at translating anime to live action, or are they setting themselves up for a colossal disaster?
Comments (10)
If they do make the film, the big question is: are they going to have the giant squid or are they going to pull a Watchmen and switch it up?
Posted by Brendan on February 10th, 2010If they did to Akira what they did to Watchmen in that aspect; humanity will die.
Posted by boopadoop on February 10th, 2010Hopefully they’ve used the comic series as a template for the script as the movie truncated the story into nonsense. Akira only actually covers the first book in a 1000+ page epic story. You’d never be able to do all of it in 2 films but you could definitely mine some of the other story elements and still come out with something pretty interesting.
Don’t really have a lot of hope for this, though. The Hughes Brothers are a particularly “style over substance” couple of guys.
A better Otomo story to adapt to the screen might be “Domu” as that’s a tighter story that cover some of the same themes. Creepy as hell, too.
Posted by Fatbologna on February 10th, 2010This could be done pretty well in live action. Anime is just another form of media with a variety of stories. People that dismiss it outright are missing out on another source of entertainment. There is nothing particularly difficult in Akira compared to any number of more obtuse or “challenging” art films that have been made. All this hinges on it being made correctly of course.
Posted by Ian on February 11th, 2010Anyone remember “The Fist of the North Star” adaptation? I’m betting a Hughes Brother “Akira” will be as watchable.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MbRF_vBB0vc&feature=related
Posted by Mrespony on February 11th, 2010Hopefully they’ll get Clint Howard to play Tetsuo…
Posted by Fatbologna on February 11th, 2010I hate to sound skeptical, but I think if it was cut into two films, it might be ok. I’m more concerned with seeing some big cgi crapfest.
Plus, they better have the streaming lights from the motorcycles. I know that sounds nerdy, but I’ll be fucking pissed if they dont.
Posted by mark on February 12th, 2010NO.
I’d be happier with that Ruairi Robinson guy.
Posted by Ryan M. on February 15th, 2010I agree, Akira is not post-apocalypse, just apocalypse. I doubt these Hughes brothers will pick up on the subtleties in Akira (indeed like the motorcycles, which are like a badge of honor amongst the Tokyo gangs). I suspect these Hughes fellows will revert to Hollywitz stereotypical scenes and dumb it down to come up something Minority Report-ish at best.
Posted by db on February 21st, 2010Look Holly Wood will FUCK IT UP.
Posted by blaze one on March 31st, 2010Will not be set in Neo Tokyo, Japan.
You will not see an all JAPANESE cast.
Zionist jew money yo! Holly Wood style.
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