http://www.animenewsnetwo...ive-action

Two films planned, with first film scheduled for Summer 2009 release


The Hollywood Reporter and Variety entertainment trade periodicals both report that Warner Brothers and Appian Way, the production company of actor Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Aviator), will adapt Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira manga into two live-action films. Each film will cover three volumes of the renowned science-fiction manga about a governmental genetic project and a teenager's attempt to save a fellow biker gang member.

The manga set in Neo-Tokyo, a city rebuilt after being destroyed in a mysterious explosion. Otomo directed his own animated film adaptation that premiered on July 16, 1988 — the same day that the story has the fictional Tokyo being destroyed. The first live-action film is scheduled for release in the summer of 2009 and will move the story's setting to "'New Manhattan,' a city rebuilt after being destroyed 31 years ago."

Ireland's Ruairi Robinson will be making his feature directorial debut with this project, and Gary Whitta (Book of Eli) is writing a script. Warner Brothers once had the film rights for Akira before, but Executive Vice-President Greg Silverman (300, Batman Begins) had to re-acquire them from Kodansha after a round of pitched bidding that reached seven figures. Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar, DiCaprio, and Appian Way's Jennifer Davisson will produce. No announcement has been made regarding the cast.

Update: The free version of Hollywood Reporter's article is now active, and more information about the original manga and anime adaptation have been added.

Update 2: The Hollywood Reporter's article added a picture of the Akira character from CAPCOM's Rival School (Rival Gakuen) videogames. This Akira character is entirely unrelated to either Katsuhiro Otomo's manga or the planned live-action movies. Robinson directed "The Silent City" short with Cillian Murphy (Batman Begins' Scarecrow) and the Oscar-nominated "Fifty Percent Grey" animated short. Whitta was the editor-in-chief of PC Gamer magazine and the writer of the comic-book adaptation of the Death Jr. videogame.

Unnecessary.

As much as I don't want this to happen personally... the manga/anime industry is suffering in the US... so this'll give a boost to the industry hopefully.
[Edited 2/21/08 22:22pm]

NOOOOO

No and

F**&&* A NO!!!!


p.s.

I've calmed down a bit. Yay to the fact that they are covering the books and not redoing the animated movie (which seriously deleted many plots and characters...

But NYC...BIG BAD BOOOO!

As if live action DBZ wasn't enough. Good Lord, they're messin' with the classics now. I'm going to be a picky judgmental perfectionist for a moment just to say....they are going to mess this up no matter what. Unless they have a team consisting of the original creators, they are going to severely mess this up.

No matter what they do, where they get it from, I do not have enough faith in Warner to do this justice. No, no no no no.
[Edited 2/22/08 13:20pm]

LadyLuvSexxy said:

This could be pretty good....or turn out REALLY BAD


So far for 2008 and 2009, we're getting
Dragonball
Robotech
Astro Boy
Speed Racer
Akira

Mars23 said:

That's exactly what I was thinking.

OMG!! YES!! FINALLY!!!! I just rented that last week. One of my most favoritest movies EVARRR!!!
[Edited 2/22/08 13:33pm]

bboy87 said:

And the only good one in original form there is Akira. The rest of that is simply crap. Even Nostalgic Speed Racer. Was that show even good in the first place?