Should The "Akira" Live-Action Film Push Forward? Another Japanese Property To Be 'Whitewashed'

It's been more than a decade since Warner Bros. purchased the rights to create a live-action adaptation film of "Akira," Otomo Katsuhiro's critically acclaimed cult anime.

As it stands, the project is still stuck in development hell, although several scripts and actors have been linked to it in one way or another. The "Akira" live-action film almost reached production in 2012 when director Jaume Collet Serra ("Run All Night," "Non Stop") allegedly reached negotiations with several A-listers to appear in it.The actors reportedly involved were Garett Hedlund ("Pan"), Ken Watanabe ("Godzilla"), Helena Bonham Carter ("Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street") and Kristen Stewart ("The Twilight Saga").

It was also previously rumored that The Dark Knight Rises" director Christopher Nolan is involved in some capacity. According to Den of Geek, the "Interstellar" helmer wants to make a trilogy of movie's based on the sci-fi property.

Since then, it's been announced that "Daredevil 2" season 2 showrunner Marco Ramirez has been tasked by Warner Bros. to pen the live-action adaptation's script.

Meanwhile, producers of the "Akira" live-action film are already experiencing backlash from loyal fans for "whitewashing" the franchise.

"Star Trek" actor George Takei weighed in on why Asian actors aren't being courted for the upcoming movie.

It's an old Hollywood tradition that we've always been battling, not just Hollywood but Broadway too," Takei said in a statement published by Movie Pilot. "So, no, I really wasn't suprised, but the audience has changed now, and I'm surprised Warner Bros. is not keeping up with the audience."

"The same thing happened with M. Night Shyamalan," he added. "He cast his project [The Last Airbender] with non-asian and it's an Asian story, and the film flopped. I should think that they would learn from that."

Readers what do you think? Should actors of Asian heritage lead the "Akira" live-action film? Sound off in the comments section below!