I consider myself pretty well-versed in the language of film; not just horror, but all genres. And it’s with this proclamation that I note how embarrassed I am to have never seen AKIRA, the seminal 1988 anime film that is considered by many geeks as a classic. I have never been a fan of anime, which certainly adds to my reluctance to see it, but by all accounts it transcends the genre, standing on its own a science-fiction epic.
I’m not sure if people are outraged by the plan to remake AKIRA as TWO live-action films, but those who were might have been encouraged by the fact that there has been little word about the flicks for over a year. (To remind you, in early 2008 is was announced that Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company was in charge of the remake, with newbie Ruairi Robinson directing, and Gary Whitta writing the script.) Well, seems as though there’s been a good reason for all being quiet on the AKIRA front. They were writing the screenplay! Duh…
Collider is reporting that IRON MAN and CHILDREN OF MEN scribes Hawk Ostby and Mark Fergus are now toiling away on the project. The setting of the film has been moved from “Neo-Tokyo” to “New Manhattan” (cue fanboy griping!), but the “red bike” is still part of the story. Um, cool?
For those of you unfamiliar with what AKIRA is about, here’s a brief synopsis: A secret military project endangers neo-tokyo when it turns a biker gang member into a rampaging psionic psychopath that only two kids and a group of psionics can stop.
Keep it here for more AKIRA updates as they come down the pipeline. It’s (tentatively) looking at an unspecified 2011 release.
The comment section exists to allow readers to discuss the article constructively and respectfully, focused on the topic at hand.
What’s Not Allowed