No Akira for Levitt

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Strike Back below!
by: Mike Sampson Sep. 12, 2008

Back in February Ain't It Cool reported that Joseph Gordon Levitt was to co-star in a live-action remake of AKIRA for Warner Bros. That's news to Levitt. "That's really just a rumor," Levitt told MTV at the Toronto Film Festival, adding, "that just goes to show what you can believe about what people write about movies." Levitt says that the "loves" the original movie but as far as he knows there isn't even a script for the film yet. Hmm, that makes the reported 2009 release date something of a stretch. Levitt was allegedly set to star as Tetsuo to DiCaprio's Kaneda in the film. Ruairi Robinson was set to direct the film with DiCaprio also producing through his Appian Way production company. A live-action AKIRA has been in the works for some time with a post-BLADE and pre-LEAGUE OF EXTRAORDINARY GENTLEMEN Steven Norrington attached to direct. While I'd love to see a live-action AKIRA movie (and especially one with DiCaprio and Levitt), I also want to make sure it's done right so if that means taking some time, take all the time in the world.

Source: MTV

Extra Tidbit: Now I want to go watch Levitt in BRICK again.

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Hunglowman
4:08PM on 09/15/2008 Add as a friend | MFC profile
If anyone IS captain america it's will smith.

That guy is practically Captain EARTH. soon to be Capatin solar system.

I'm talking about BANK people.
If anyone IS captain america it's will smith.

That guy is practically Captain EARTH. soon to be Capatin solar system.

I'm talking about BANK people.
 
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GGear0323
9:54PM on 09/14/2008 Add as a friend | MFC profile
c'mon, joel, there is a big difference between America remaking every asian movie they can get their hands on with American actors, white or black, and recreating a an American icon just for the hell of it. people were complaining when they went for a black Kingpin in Daredevil, (it didnt matter in the end because the film sucked anyway). people complain because ti doesnt mean anything other th...
c'mon, joel, there is a big difference between America remaking every asian movie they can get their hands on with American actors, white or black, and recreating a an American icon just for the hell of it. people were complaining when they went for a black Kingpin in Daredevil, (it didnt matter in the end because the film sucked anyway). people complain because ti doesnt mean anything other than the film company doing something crazy just for the sake of being crazy, the Kingpin being black didnt add anything to that role whatsoever. they only float the idea out there about the whole Cap and will smith thing because they think Will smith is gold, not because he particularly fits the role. just like that Edwin A. Salt film, they only considered making it a female part for only ONE actress, Angelina, and why....$$$$, thats it.
 
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joel1975
2:45PM on 09/13/2008 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Hmmm...A "white" Akira?
I'm the 10th comment.

Apparently, there isn't too much opposition to a white American remake of Japanese Akira.

Yet have a black actor "remake" a white superhero character...(Uh, huh...white fanboys are ready set burning crosses on lawns)...

If they do indeed remake the film, why not just change the names? Or use the same premise?

It d...
I'm the 10th comment.

Apparently, there isn't too much opposition to a white American remake of Japanese Akira.

Yet have a black actor "remake" a white superhero character...(Uh, huh...white fanboys are ready set burning crosses on lawns)...

If they do indeed remake the film, why not just change the names? Or use the same premise?

It doesn't make any sense. Too, why not use Japanese (or Japanese-American) actors?

I'm sure they're going to use Asian actresses...(They usually don't have any problem doing that)...
 
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GGear0323
12:30AM on 09/13/2008 Add as a friend | MFC profile
i am not completely totally overwhelmingly opposed to an American remake of the film (just slightly, marginally, more than average kinda opposed) but i just cant and probably will never get behind making the main characters anything other than juvenile delinquent kids with hardly any formal education forming motorcycle gangs that find themselves in some serious shit. i understand that in Asian ...
i am not completely totally overwhelmingly opposed to an American remake of the film (just slightly, marginally, more than average kinda opposed) but i just cant and probably will never get behind making the main characters anything other than juvenile delinquent kids with hardly any formal education forming motorcycle gangs that find themselves in some serious shit. i understand that in Asian cinema, they have absolutely no qualms about putting children and grotesque violence together in a film, and by contrast, Hollywood has many problems with it, but kinda like a Battle Royale, the characters in this film are driven by hatred they have for a government that has forgotten about its youth and has cast them as a undesirable part of society. no matter how good DiCaprio and Levitt are, they cant get that across, mainly because ...they aren't kids!!
 
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annihilist
6:37PM on 09/12/2008 Add as a friend | MFC profile
this is completely unnecessary and stupid.

if they cast Japanese people of the appropriate age and somehow managed to invent some CGI that doesn't completely overwhelm everything else, it might work.

but as it stands now - suck.
this is completely unnecessary and stupid.

if they cast Japanese people of the appropriate age and somehow managed to invent some CGI that doesn't completely overwhelm everything else, it might work.

but as it stands now - suck.
 
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mzieg
1:46PM on 09/12/2008 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Yeah that makes sense
So now Kaneda is really 33 years old...yeah, that would improve the story SO much. He could be out riding with the boys after a long day at the office selling insurance to help pay his mortgage and alimony for his second marriage...yeah, that's the ticket! So then he bought the big red motorcycle as one of those mid-life crisis things, right? It can be just like Chevy Chase in Nat'l Lampoon'...
So now Kaneda is really 33 years old...yeah, that would improve the story SO much. He could be out riding with the boys after a long day at the office selling insurance to help pay his mortgage and alimony for his second marriage...yeah, that's the ticket! So then he bought the big red motorcycle as one of those mid-life crisis things, right? It can be just like Chevy Chase in Nat'l Lampoon's Vacation! Awesome, I'm so there!
 
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TAE K
11:35AM on 09/12/2008 Add as a friend | MFC profile
dicaprio and levitt?

so all of the inhabitants of neo-tokyo are white people? damn that a-bomb!
dicaprio and levitt?

so all of the inhabitants of neo-tokyo are white people? damn that a-bomb!
 
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beatrixkiddo
11:15AM on 09/12/2008 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Okay so when it does come up for you, Levitt...do it. Or I agree with Hunglowman, let Ben Foster have it.

It indeed was a great rumor, and even though the movie might be hard to translate to the big screen I think with the right person it can be done.
Okay so when it does come up for you, Levitt...do it. Or I agree with Hunglowman, let Ben Foster have it.

It indeed was a great rumor, and even though the movie might be hard to translate to the big screen I think with the right person it can be done.
 
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Hunglowman
10:54AM on 09/12/2008 Add as a friend | MFC profile
I wish levitt was in this. but he is easily replaced... Ben Foster anyone? Better yet... actual ASIAN PEOPLE.

and lets not get all misty over the first film, aside from having the most badass opening ever, an awesome epic battle at the end and a few super interesting scenes the original also suffered from too much talking, needless boring points and many fast forward-worthy mom...
I wish levitt was in this. but he is easily replaced... Ben Foster anyone? Better yet... actual ASIAN PEOPLE.

and lets not get all misty over the first film, aside from having the most badass opening ever, an awesome epic battle at the end and a few super interesting scenes the original also suffered from too much talking, needless boring points and many fast forward-worthy moments.

this is one time where i think the American limited attention span could actually make Akira as great as it is supposed to be.
 
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Ayestrain
10:26AM on 09/12/2008 Add as a friend | MFC profile
Why are they doing this?
How could they possibly do the original film justice???

The only stuff I could see them getting right are the motorcycle gang scenes. Those could be fucking awesome.

Everything else? A CGI crapfest. An Akira remake would be nothing but an embarrassment..
How could they possibly do the original film justice???

The only stuff I could see them getting right are the motorcycle gang scenes. Those could be fucking awesome.

Everything else? A CGI crapfest. An Akira remake would be nothing but an embarrassment..
 
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spacemonkey
9:50AM on 09/12/2008 Add as a friend | MFC profile
If done right...this movie will be bad ass all the way. And a HUGE money maker I might add.
If done right...this movie will be bad ass all the way. And a HUGE money maker I might add.
 
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disposablepal
9:46AM on 09/12/2008 Add as a friend | MFC profile
not a bad rumor
although the thought of Akira made with an all american cast is just plain retarded, i think Levitt would have actually made a pretty decent Tetsuo, especially after seeing him in both Brick and Manic. But if they made it right (ya know, with actual asian people) i think Tatsuya Fujiwara and Taro Yamamoto would be perfect as Kaneda and Tetsuo even though they were both in Battle Royale together.
although the thought of Akira made with an all american cast is just plain retarded, i think Levitt would have actually made a pretty decent Tetsuo, especially after seeing him in both Brick and Manic. But if they made it right (ya know, with actual asian people) i think Tatsuya Fujiwara and Taro Yamamoto would be perfect as Kaneda and Tetsuo even though they were both in Battle Royale together.