For those of you playing along at home, this is probably the 20 millionth time that you have heard that Akira, the classic sci-fi anime masterpiece, will be adapted by a bunch of hollywood big-wigs into a live-action blockbuster.
This time however, there may be more bite than bark behind this announcement. Warner Bros. have announced that they have officially green-lit the project, which will adapt the infamous manga of the same name that inspired the original film. However if Warner’s description of the film’s plot is anything to go by there may be some concern amongst fans of Akira:
“Set in New Manhattan, the cyberpunk sci-fi epic follows the leader of a biker gang who must save his friend, discovered with potentially destructive psychokinetic abilities, from government medical experiments.”
This is definitely going to rile up the fans, particularly the “New Manhattan” part. Not only that but currently the actor set to play Kaneda, the films protagonist, is the star of Tron: Legacy, Garret Hedlund. Make of that what you will Akira fans.
What do you think of this very American version of Akira? Let us know in the shout box and comments section.
