This news has nothing to do with martial arts cinema but as a devotee of Katsuhiro Otomo’s sci-fi manga epic, AKIRA, I couldn’t pass it up. Rumors of rights to a live-action adaptation have been floating around for years but now the project has entered the fast track. Warner Bros. will soon begin production on the first of two feature films based directly off of Otomo’s six-part graphic novel series, originally published in 1982.
Poster art from Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1988 anime film masterpiece, AKIRA. Two new, live-action Warner Bros. films will be based on Otomo’s original six-part graphic novel.
Making his big screen debut, Irish filmmaker Ruairi Robinson will direct both films from scripts by fellow newcomer Gary Whitta. Otomo will act as executive producer. Those curious about Robinson’s potential as a filmmaker can check out his impressive short film, THE SILENT CITY. Another one of his short films was nominated for an Oscar and he has also directed a number of commercials.
Leonardo DiCaprio is attached as one of the film’s producers, which is also an indicator of a likely casting choice for one of the films’ leading roles.
Warner is describing the films as “BLADERUNNER meets CITY OF GOD.” For those familiar with AKIRA, that should be encouraging. Following the release of the groundbreaking 1988 feature film, AKIRA has gained a large and fanatical fanbase around the world. Its popularity is driven by Otomo’s grand dystopian vision of a war-ravaged Neo-Tokyo overrun with violent biker gangs, disaffected youth, cultists, corrupt politicians, trigger-happy military police, insurgents, and one dangerously reckless psychokinetic teen with a god complex and the power to destroy the entire city.
Although co-directed by Otomo, the 1988 anime film is substantially different from the graphic novels, largely in the way that the elements in the original story were heavily condensed to fit into a two-hour movie. Although visually stunning, AKIRA loses a substantial amount of context from Otomo’s original work.
The decision to go with two live-action movies, each focused on three volumes from the original material is good news, although some notable changes are going to be made such as changing the location from a future Tokyo to a future New York. The story will be set in New Manhattan, a metropolis rebuilt from the ruins of its previous destruction 31 year prior. As we live in a post-9/11 world, it will be interesting to see how Whitta spins AKIRA’s terrorist, police state and WMD elements.
A past stumbling block to making a live-action AKIRA has been the projected budget. The scale of the story is massive and to adequately reproduce it would necessitate the creation of costly sets and visual effects. Thankfully, sci-fi films like THE MATRIX TRILOGY and DARK CITY, both of which were likely influenced by AKIRA, have shown that adapting Otomo’s stylish vision is possible. Now the anxious waiting begins to see if the filmmakers can get it right. If all goes well, we’ll find out in 2009 as the first film arrives in theaters.
Related Topics:Anime • sci-fi • upcoming
