Until now, apparently. Bloody-Disgusting says that the sci-fi flick is being taken out of mothballs again, and has a hot young relatively unknown director attached. Oscar-nominated Irish director Ruairi Robinson will reportedly tune up Kaneda’s superbike and bring Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s post-apocalyptic vision to full fleshy motion. Robinson landed the position based on his impressive short film “The Silent City”, which you can see at B-D.
For those who haven’t seen the original, the futuristic AKIRA follows a street gang of pill-popping teenage troublemakers who ride tricked-out motorcycles, fight with rivals and generally shout a lot. The gang leader’s best friend gets involved in a government experiment and develops psychic powers, bringing the two together in a bloody, gloriously destructive clash.