Akira script sent out to Robert Pattinson, Justin Tiberlake, Joaquin Pheonix, more

We recently told you that HARRY POTTER series screenplay scribe Steve Kloves was brought on board by Warner Bros. and Legendary Pictures to polish up the script for their upcoming live action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s graphic novel AKIRA. Well, the new draft excited the studio and director Albert Hughes (FROM HELL, THE BOOK OF ELI) enough to move forward with the project.

The updated script has been sent to a short list of actors with roles in mind. For TETSUO, the studio is looking at Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield and James McAvoy. For KANEDA, they’d like Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake (right) or Joaquin Phoenix.

The story takes place in the rebuilt New Manhattan where a leader of a biker gang saves his friend from a medical experiment. The movie is aiming for production to begin in August. The plan is to make two films, each covering three books in the series.

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