WB takes franchise turn with 'Akira'



Warner Bros. will turn anime artist Katsuhiro Otomo's six-volume graphic novel "Akira" into two live-action feature films, the first of which is being fast tracked for release in summer 2009. Legendary will co-finance with WB.

Each feature will be based on three of the books in Otomo's series. The story takes place in New Manhattan, a metropolis that was rebuilt after being destroyed 31 years earlier. Otomo will exec produce the films.

Graphic novel was first adapted for the bigscreen in 1988 as a popular animated film which Otomo directed.

Studio has closed a seven-figure rights acquisition deal with manga publisher Kodansha and has set Ruairi Robinson to direct a script by Gary Whitta ("Book of Eli"). Andrew Lazar's Mad Chance will produce with Appian Way's Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson.

WB had the "Akira" rights several years ago only to let them lapse and then recapture them in a spirited bidding battle.

Robinson, an Irish helmer who has been Oscar nominated for his short film and commercials work, is making his feature debut.

The project was brought in by exec veep Greg Silverman, who has supervised "300" and "Batman Begins."

Lazar is producer on the WB comedy "Get Smart," and he's about to start production on the Jim Carrey starrer "I Love You Phillip Morris" for EuropaCorp.

Appian Way is producing the John Cusack starrer "The Factory" for WB and Dark Castle.

gay. I hate the way they americanised everything nowadays
They should do like gatchaman and stick with the original storyline.

is it the same case applied to speed racer? i'm not sure am i sayin' the correct things since so blurry in the morning...

How many of us here actually have watched Akira?

cb i wonder why Katsuhiro Ootomo even allowed them to change the story's location to Manhattan, its supposed to be a blardy Neo-Tokyo for christ sake, how big is manhattan btw, 1/100 of Tokyo?

akira comics is damn good, worth to keep a FEW copies(1 for read, another for keep) as home
but the anime.................... yucks, mayb it is hard to summaries that long story in 90mins length anime

however, movie is expected.. hope not another street fighter, mortal kombat or dead or alive........

Mortal Kombat is a 1995 action movie, directed by Paul W. S. Anderson. It is based on the popular Mortal Kombat series of fighting games by Midway. It was filmed in Los Angeles and on location in Thailand.

The movie received average reviews from critics, most notably a "thumbs up" rating from Gene Siskel on the television show Siskel & Ebert. It grossed roughly $70 million in the U.S., and an estimated $122 million worldwide. At the time, MK enjoyed the second-highest August opening after 1993's The Fugitive.

The film was considered to be the first major success for video-game movie adaptions, coming out a year after the critically disappointing Street Fighter and two years after the disastrous flop, Super Mario Bros.

Mortal Kombat was definitely the best out of all the failed.

And I quote: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mortal_Kombat_(film)

Exclusive: A look at the live action AKIRA remake - AKIRA PART 1!

The story takes place in a burgeoning new metropolis of the future, several years after a cataclysmic event destroyed the old city that once stood in its place. Unbeknownst to most of the populace, the real cause of the event was a small boy with incredible psychic powers, part of a top secret government program attempting to harness such so called “Espers” as weapons. The project is deemed too dangerous, and the young boy – AKIRA – is put in cryogenic stasis in a secret underground facility to prevent such a disaster from ever occurring again. In probably the most significant change and the only one that really bugged me, the events of this version are shifted from Tokyo to New York – but after the city is destroyed and the United States’ economy collapses, burgeoning superpower Japan buys the devastated island to construct a new city to house their ever expanding population. So the film will still technically be set in New Tokyo, but on the island of Manhattan, and with about half the characters being American and the rest remaining Japanese. It’s a somewhat odd way of appealing to American audiences and fans alike, and feels somewhat awkward, but does allow for some up to date political commentary.

In the ruins of the surrounding boroughs live KANEDA and TRAVIS, two young men who became good friends after being orphaned by the disaster and have since looked out for each other. They are now part of a biker gang called the Red Devils, which tries to maintain the peace in the lawless, neglected, impoverished outskirts they call home. KANEDA is the cocky leader, like a big brother to restless TRAVIS. Following a run-in with a rival gang and a chance encounter with some people smuggling a strange young boy out of the city, TRAVIS inadvertently unlocks dormant psychic abilities and KANEDA gets involved in a resistance movement attempting to stop the resurrected Espers research program, headed by the military and Vanguard, a Blackwater-esque private military contractor. SHACKLETON, an army colonel who was part of the original experiments, mainly wants to contain these powerful psychics and protect the city, while NELLIS, defense secretary in the pocket of Vanguard, wants to restart the weapons development side of the program.

For more long story of this, click the spoiler (and yes, the spoiler contains the ENDING. You have been warned:

EXCLUSIVE: Leonardo DiCaprio Updates ‘Akira’ And ‘Ninja Scroll’ Status, Won’t Star In Either Film



While most of Hollywood seems to be focusing on comics made stateside — with even French publishers getting some attention lately — Leonardo DiCaprio has clearly set his sights on the Far East.

Already reported here on Splash Page, DiCaprio’s Appian Way production company has been picking up classic heavy-hitters from the world of Japanese manga and anime — most notably “Akira” and “Ninja Scroll” — to develop into live-action feature films. While the news of “Ninja Scroll” is still fresh on the blogs, “Akira” has already made some moves in Hollywood, being picked up by Warner Bros., scooping up Gary Whitta to write the script, and there’s even rumors that Joseph Gordon Levitt will play the role of Tetsuo.

“We’re waiting for the final draft of the script [for 'Akira'],” DiCaprio told MTV. “I’m a big fan of Japanese anime — that and another project called ‘Ninja Scroll’ we’re trying to get developed and made into a movie, and I know there a lot of loyal fans out there of the project and die-hard fans, so we’re going to try to do the best job we possibly can and we’re not going to make the movie until the script is in the right shape.”

However, for those of you out there hoping to see DiCaprio on Kaneda’s souped up motorcycle in “Akira” or munching on rice balls a la Jubei Kibagami in “Ninja Scroll,” don’t hold your breath. When asked about what his role will be in these properties, DiCaprio made it clear that he’d be producing, and as for as any interest in acting: “No, not really,” he responded.

So talk it up, fellow anime and manga fans out there — are you pumped to see live-action versions of these films in production? Any ideas for lead roles or directors? Let’s get the conversation going in the comments.

Leo talks Akira



When news broke that Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way production company had picked up the rights to anime classics "Akira" and "Ninja Scroll", the internets was aflame with excitement that DiCaprio might slap on his best biker gear to star in the feature adaptation of "Akira". However, "Splash Page" recently spoke to DiCaprio and after confirming that he is indeed in active development on both projects - for "Akira", specifically, he's just waiting on the final draft of the script before heading into production - he mentioned that he has no plans to star in either film. His exact words, in fact, when asked if he had any interest in acting in either one, were "No, not really." So there you go people, DiCaprio won't be part of the pill popping biker gang who become embroiled in a government conspiracy nor will he be wielding a samurai sword to stop an old foe from overthrowing the Japanese government.

Extra Tidbit: So who would you guys like to see in lead roles in AKIRA and NINJA SCROLL?