I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again – One project I could care less about is Jaume Collet-Sera’s upcoming AKIRA adaptation. I mean… it just doesn’t do anything for me. But alas, it’s my job as an AITH news editor to bring you all any news within this beautiful genre regardless of personal feelings so that’s exactly what I’m doing.
You see word coming in from The Hollywood Reporter’s Heat Vision blog has young actor Garrett Hedlund now in talks with Warner Bros. to star in AKIRA. He would be playing the lead role of ‘Kaneda.’ This comes fresh off the news that Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter and Keira Knightley have all been offered roles in the film.
Now we knew Warner Bros. and Collet-Sera were looking at Hedlund, who was last seen in TRON: LEGACY, for the lead role but nothing had been put in motion. Obviously that has changed and of all the offes made, Hedlund (above) is the first to actually make a move.
Neo-Tokyo (now set in New Manhattan) has risen from the ashes of World War III to become a dark and dangerous megalopolis infested with gangs and terrorists. The government seethes with corruption and only maintains a token control over the powerful military that prevents total chaos and hides the secrets of the past. Childhood friends Tetsuo and Kaneda plunge into Neo-Tokyo’s darkest secret when their motorcycle gang encounters a military operation to retrieve an escaped experimental subject. Tetsuo, captured by the military, is subjected to experiments that make him a powerful psychic, but, unfortunately for Neo-Tokyo, Tetsuo’s powers rage out of control and he lashes out at the world that has oppressed him.
Mind you nothing is signed just yet so this is all talk for now but it looks like Hedlund might be our guy. Are you guys OK with that? Did you want someone different for the role? Spit some bullets below and let us know as we wait for more AKIRA news to come our way.
Hedlund’s TRON: LEGACY co-star Olivia Wilde
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