"Akira" Live-Action Film Stalls Out (Again)

Film offices in Vancouver shut down, production staff being sent home

January 05, 2012 12:23pm PST (1/5/12)

Just when it seemed that the live action Akira adaptation was all set to start production and filming, an exclusive report for The Hollywood Reporter has confirmed that production on the film has been shut down, with the production offices in Vancouver being closed and all non-essential crew and talent being sent home after Warner Bros decided to review the budget.

Since the budget for the film has been in a constant state of flux, the recent news that actors were being offered roles and the production was picking up steam was taken as a sign that activity on the film was progressing smoothly, but it looks like that call was made a little too early.

The news now is that they're looking for a $60-70 million budget (as opposed to $90) with director Collet-Sera being given two weeks to hammer everything out while more actors hash out their deals or face the filmed getting shelved forever. Will it be done in time? One can only hope.

Current Akira Situation:

Jaume Collet-Sera Directing

Garrett Hedlund in line for Kaneda

Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter offered The Colonel, Lady Miyako

Keira Knightley approached for undisclosed role

Casting call seeks Japanese-American for Yamagata

Warner Bros. has two potentials for AKIRA's Tetsuo

Twilight's Kristen Stewart Offered Role As Kei in Akira

Gary Oldman on Live-Action Akira Role Offer

Tags

akira, warner bros

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36 Comments

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1/5/12 by mimosa_usagi

I hope it get canceled. The parts of the script that have been leaked were totally crap. And they re-wrote to story to make it more generic. Why buy the rights to a classic, and then change everything that made it good?

1/5/12 by tiburonroano

Make it work!

1/5/12 by JoePianist

The preliminary casting and plans weren't sounding too great anyway. I mean, Kirsten Stewart being considered as Kei? Seriously?

1/5/12 by fullmetal0696

I hope it gets cancelled too. Anime is made for, and is only meant for, anime, and people shouldn't be making it into live action.

1/5/12 by Koga1211

Not that I like Live Action adaptions, because I don't (I agree in the sense that, anime is anime, and making it live action doesn't feel right) but you do know that the Japanese make live actions all the time, right? Anyway at the very least I think the West shouldn't make live actions. Ever.

1/5/12 by LordFrz

There is nothing wrong with live action, just leave the story as it is. That is the reason it was great in the first place.

1/5/12 by seanohara

The live action Ouran High School Host Club anime was good (if cheesy) and the 2010 Girl Who Leapt Through Time is even better than the anime.

1/5/12 by seanohara

Live action Ouran ... series not anime.

1/5/12 by tassadar45

I hope it gets cancelled, i dont want to see another db evolution .___.

1/5/12 by LordFrz

The only way to make a good live action is to keep the original story or you might as well make a diffident movie altogether. The reason it was awesome to begin with was the story it has, change it and you got a DragonBall Evolution. Generalizing it won't get you a mainstream audience. IF they change the story, you just wasted $90 mill - you may get a 3rd back, but your movie will flop. You can't trust what the "critics" say about it, the fans will murder you with online reviews.

1/5/12 by basabeo

I honestly want it to be canceled... I don't want Kirsten Stewart to ruin the movie :(

1/5/12 by MiosStory

It would have been really great if this movie followed the original material. I mean not even the anime movie followed the original. I think this movie needs to be shut down and they need to get someone in there that actually wants to make this movie the right way.

But the chances of that happening are pretty slim. I see this movie coming out, I do, but it'll be like the American version of 'Godzilla'. Completely unrecognizable.

1/5/12 by dezifish

They say third time's the charm, but lets face it. THERE SHOULD NOT BE A THIRD TIME!

1/5/12 by dokudokugwo

One can only hope that it will get canned forever....

1/5/12 by Ketsuen

This is good news. I don't think the film should be made.
Unlike most people however it's not because I think anime being adapted to live action is a bad thing. In fact, that attitude of "live action sucks" is ignorant and elitist. If more people who are in to anime tried watching a jdrama or a good example of an anime adapted into a live action film, they might actually find they like it.
There are many reasons why the film should not be made, for example the subject matter and well written story of the original was not going to be respected by what people already know of the script, also Akira had really high production values- and hollywood probably won't make it as well or with as much money.

This explains it better than I ever could. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BBAJdtPVnZc

1/5/12 by deadpanditto

This is only good news, especially given that budget.

1/5/12 by Nexoriator

I lolled. No need for this movie anyway. ^^

1/5/12 by sortoffaerygirl

"Will it be done in time? One can only hope."

One can only hope that this just gets canned completely and that no one ever tries it ever again.

Bad tagline, CR News. The overwhelming fan reaction to this movie has been "We don't want it," and "Please don't make this movie," so stop doing WBs promo work.

Bad Otaku - no biscuit!

1/5/12 by kitsuneshoujo

Its dead Jim. Please... for the love of God let it be dead Jim.

1/5/12 by sortoffaerygirl

You so just won an internet :)

1/5/12 by kitsuneshoujo

I'm not an Akira fan, but I am a huge anime fan, and anytime Holywierd gets a hold of anime they always manage to frak it up... stuffing Kristen "Ima Real-life Marysue" Stewart into the picture just tells me this movie should NOT be made into a movie. >.>

1/5/12 by TerraGamerX

Honestly I think this is a sigh of relief to many. Though full-cancelling still seems necessary. If they start over from square one and abandon the nonsense they were going for, I'd observe it as the new work that it is. But confidence is down, there's no reason to 'trust' that they can make a genuinely good version.

1/5/12 by admiral1983

sounds like a good omen to me if they can't do it right then they shouldn't do it at all

1/5/12 by Exia66

GOOD.

LET IT BURN.

Let it rot for all I care, Bad idea for all purposes.

Why not do something like Pacific Rim, people! BE ORIGINAL!

1/5/12 by asgaurd

I can only hope that this gets canceled for good. It's only Akira by Name.

1/5/12 by bluerunner

I hope this gets shelved myself, it has FAIL written in big red letters all over it.

1/5/12 by AKidEnraged

BY THE ANIME GODS I THANK THEEE

1/5/12 by knives7

thats a lot of money to make a movie is that really necessary

1/5/12 by Hangyaku

Hollywood should just cancel it, they can't make money anymore so they just come up or take books, mangas, animes, do remakes etc. that's why they are supporting the SOPA bill.

1/5/12 by AlphaOtaku7

This is some good news for those who think this was and always has been a bad idea.

1/5/12 by crowveon

great! pls throw away this topic...i dont want see this topic again.

1/5/12 by ArcaJ

Good. Now all they haave to do is burn the scripts, cast lists, and all production notes; seal them in glass jars and bury them in a cryogenic tomb a mile under the Earth, then build an Olympic Stadium over it.