'Akira' Live-Action Movie To Be Produced By Leonardo DiCaprio; Will He Appear In The Adaptation?
The latest on the "Akira" live-action movie claims that Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way will produce the American adaptation of the cult Japanese anime.
The "Akira" live-action movie has been stuck in development since Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way and Andrew Lazar acquired the rights to the project. Several screenwriters and directors have pitched for the film, but no script ever reached any real stage of progress.
The "Akira" live-action movie almost reached production in 2012 when director Jaume Collet-Serra, whose resume includes "Non Stop," "Orphan," and "Run All Night," started talks with several Hollywood stars including Garett Hedlund ("Tron: Legacy"), Kristen Stewart ("Twilight," "American Ultra"), Ken Watanabe ("Godzilla"), and Helena Bonham-Carter ("Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street") to star in the film.
Venture Capital Post reported that the project is back on track, with DiCaprio and Lazar still on board as producers, Marco Ramirez as writer and Jaume Collet-Serra returning to the director's chair.
Ramirez, who will be co-showrunning the second season of the "Daredevil" Netflix series, will write the script for "Akira."
Collet-Serra was previously tasked to helm the "Akira" live-action movie, but left due to budget and casting constraints. According to Screen Crush, Collet-Serra may finally helm the project after agreeing to work on the film with only $60 million - half of the original budget.
Prior to the "Akira", DiCaprio was rumored to be involved with the live-action adaptation of "Robotech," another Japanese anime-based property.
Created by Otomo Katsuhiro, "Akira" started out as a manga before it was adapted into an animated feature in 1988. The story is set in post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo and tells the story of two brothers, both biker gangsters, who find themselves pitted against each other when one abuses his newly discovered telekinetic powers.
Producers have yet to announce an official release date for the "Akira" live-action movie.