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Topic: Live action Akira (Read 1595 times)

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Impeal

#1 March 28, 2008, 05:08:24 pm

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http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-02-20/warner-leonardo-dicaprio-to-produce-akira-live-action

The Hollywood Reporter and Variety entertainment trade periodicals both report that Warner Brothers and Appian Way, the production company of actor Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Aviator), will adapt Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira manga into two live-action films. Each film will cover three volumes of the renowned science-fiction manga about a governmental genetic project and a teenager's attempt to save a fellow biker gang member.

The manga set in Neo-Tokyo, a city rebuilt after being destroyed in a mysterious explosion. Otomo directed his own animated film adaptation that premiered on July 16, 1988 — the same day that the story has the fictional Tokyo being destroyed. The first live-action film is scheduled for release in the summer of 2009 and will move the story's setting to "'New Manhattan,' a city rebuilt after being destroyed 31 years ago."

Ireland's Ruairi Robinson will be making his feature directorial debut with this project, and Gary Whitta (Book of Eli) is writing a script. Warner Brothers once had the film rights for Akira before, but Executive Vice-President Greg Silverman (300, Batman Begins) had to re-acquire them from Kodansha after a round of pitched bidding that reached seven figures. Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar, DiCaprio, and Appian Way's Jennifer Davisson will produce. No announcement has been made regarding the cast.

Here's the IMDB page.

So, this is kind of weird. My brother told me about it after he read about it on wikipedia, and I thought it was just a dumb rumor, but the more I read about it the more legit it seems. Anyway, this could either be really cool or really stupid, and I guess we won't really know which way it's going until there's more info out.

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Ghost_Aspergers

#2 March 28, 2008, 05:51:58 pm

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I made a post about this a few days ago... but since it was just rumoured (well, the actors anyways) I kept it in the what's on the your mind topic.

I don't think it's going to get to the good stuff until the second movie comes out (IE when "Tetsuo" gains his psychic abilities and starts sturring shit up) since this seems to be about everything up until saving him from the facility. I am awaiting this out of morbid curiosity alone.

Unless Kenye West is in this because then I will definitely kill him before it finishes filming.

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Orange00

#3 March 29, 2008, 08:10:13 am

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Akira is the first anime I ever saw, it's still my favourite so I'm definitely looking forward to this. Eventhough I don't like the changes like New Manhattan I guess it makes more sense to have American actors in US rather than Neo-Tokyo.

I'm surprised Japanese haven't made a live-action from this yet (same as Dragon Ball), seeing as it's quite big.

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Tau

#4 March 29, 2008, 02:39:37 pm

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What is Akira, I mean I know it's like an old animation film but, what makes it so much better then other animes?

If you can't tell I'm not much for cartoons haha.

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Ghost_Aspergers

#5 March 29, 2008, 03:03:52 pm

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The ending.

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Orange00

#6 March 31, 2008, 03:58:42 pm

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Quote from: Tau on March 29, 2008, 02:39:37 pm

If you can't tell I'm not much for cartoons haha.

What is that supposed to mean??
If you mean anime (and cartoons) is kiddy-shit, I see one anime portrait right below your name..

Akira maybe not so incredible today, (I think it still ranks up high with all the anime, even though I'm not much into cartoons either haha) was very cool and original when it first came, and directing is in my opinion top-notch. Ending was cool too.

Last Edit: March 31, 2008, 04:01:21 pm by Orange00

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crone_lover720

#7 April 01, 2008, 03:55:17 am

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this sounds pretty bad, but whatever I guess I'll have wait and see

Quote from: Tau on March 29, 2008, 02:39:37 pm

What is Akira, I mean I know it's like an old animation film but, what makes it so much better then other animes?

concerning the film, good animation and a few cool scenes. this is what art professors who are oblivious to how contrived anime and shit has become today show to their classes (true story). not that it's a bad thing, akira has some merit and is something you should probably see in your lifetime

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Blitzen

#8 April 02, 2008, 03:10:47 am

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Akira was a disturbing perversion of the misused capabilities of animation, with a plotline and characters that would make any appreciator of cinema vomit out of disgust for thier lack of appeal, and the movie represents the apogee of examples of how fucked up Japan is. That this work is laureled and appreciated in any context is baffling to me. In my opinion, there was nothing to like about it, and chances are someone in Hollywood will come to the same conclusion. This movie will not get made.

Last Edit: April 02, 2008, 03:14:29 am by Blitzen

outerspacepotatoman

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crone_lover720

#9 April 02, 2008, 04:05:23 am

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shhhh blitzen, you don't want to go down that road because you won't have a clue what you're talking about (also because no one's going to get into an art lecture over an anime). plus akira is actually kind of mild!

I agree that this isn't a mainstream cinema sort of deal though, so I dunno how it'll fare with WB etc.

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Evangel

#10 April 02, 2008, 01:21:09 pm

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I don't know why you're all talking shit about Akira, it's one of my favorite films of all time, and probably my favorite animated piece of all time. There's just so much depth to it. I love how it jumps to each echelon of society (the government, the street gang, the rebels, the scientists, etc), so you see how the events unfolding affect everybody. The animation style is probably my favorite among anime, as it transcends the generic style you see in every fucking japanimation ever.

I can't see this movie turning out too well. I'm excited to see it, but I doubt it will work very well in live action. Plus, I can see it turning into an Americanized mindless piece of shit. I hope they prove me wrong though. The fact that they're drawing from the original manga, and that it will be spread over the course of two films, suggests that maybe it will be a little more deep than your typical Hollywood garbage.

keep posting...

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Vellfire

#11 April 02, 2008, 01:23:55 pm

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I saw Akira quite some time ago, it was alright but I really wasn't all that into it! Either way this will probably not go so well. It'll be interesting to see what happens with it.

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crone_lover720

#12 April 02, 2008, 03:46:43 pm

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Quote from: Evangel on April 02, 2008, 01:21:09 pm

I don't know why you're all talking shit about Akira, it's one of my favorite films of all time, and probably my favorite animated piece of all time. There's just so much depth to it. I love how it jumps to each echelon of society (the government, the street gang, the rebels, the scientists, etc), so you see how the events unfolding affect everybody.

come on man, does that really impress you so much? lots of shit does this, and better.

the best part is probably with tetsuo in the hospital, when the kids come to see him

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Ghost_Aspergers

#13 April 02, 2008, 04:13:08 pm

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No man. Tetsuo has psychic powers. It's so sweet. How he blows up the tank and fliess up to outerspace to trash that satellite? That had me like... OMG!

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Evangel

#14 April 03, 2008, 01:57:41 am

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Quote from: Rendpppppr on April 02, 2008, 03:46:43 pm

come on man, does that really impress you so much? lots of shit does this, and better.

the best part is probably with tetsuo in the hospital, when the kids come to see him

i dont know... i love that movie and i love it more each time i watch it. WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE. It also has the best movie soundtrack ever.

keep posting...

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Rye Bread

#15 April 03, 2008, 10:43:17 am

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As much as I hate things like this. I will gladly watch it if they do a decent job of staying close to the manga.

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Evangel

#16 April 03, 2008, 09:36:59 pm

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Quote from: Rendpppppr on April 02, 2008, 03:46:43 pm

come on man, does that really impress you so much? lots of shit does this, and better.

the best part is probably with tetsuo in the hospital, when the kids come to see him

Also, what is better than Akira, in your opinion? I haven't been impressed by anything except Nausicaa and Mononoke recently.

keep posting...

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Blitzen

#17 April 04, 2008, 01:35:47 am

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Dude, most TELEVISION is better than Akira. I've watched episodes of KING OF QUEENS more entertaining than Akira.

outerspacepotatoman

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crone_lover720

#18 April 04, 2008, 02:34:53 am

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people from both extremes. hahaha I just realized one is a libertarian and the other has a communist-themed avatar, good times

akira isn't supposed to be fun & entertaining, blitzen. it's a pretty dark film. it's meant to be disturbing, it helps get its ideas across

evangel, you're talking about anime? I dunno I haven't seen them, but they're both studi ghibli I believe so they're probably good. I can't directly compare Akira to anything, but as far as distopian/alternate reality stuff goes, there's loads and loads of stuff out there. the ghost in the shell movie is pretty good. then you've got stuff like children of men etc, I'm not really sure what you're asking for.

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headphonics

#19 April 04, 2008, 03:00:18 am

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i saw akira once when i was fourteen and was BORED AND CONFUSED mostly but i was into anime at the time so i made myself sit through it. in retrospect, i don't really remember anything but liking the setting, so i can't really say it's good or bad or overrated or anything. but i do think if i watched it again, i'd be able to name things that i thought were better than it. maybe i will do that and then come back with a substantiated opinion.

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Marcus

#20 April 04, 2008, 06:06:15 am

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Quote from: Blitzen on April 02, 2008, 03:10:47 am

Akira was a disturbing perversion of the misused capabilities of animation, with a plotline and characters that would make any appreciator of cinema vomit out of disgust for thier lack of appeal, and the movie represents the apogee of examples of how fucked up Japan is. That this work is laureled and appreciated in any context is baffling to me. In my opinion, there was nothing to like about it, and chances are someone in Hollywood will come to the same conclusion. This movie will not get made.

The anime sort of downplayed it but the manga Akira is about the future generation of Japanese teenagers growing up in the shadows of post WWIII in an increasing fascist government. It's the Japanese V for Vendetta and 1984 with a bit of Jean Giraud's stream of consciousness inspired surreal futuristic art. The story is about mistaken identity and self discovery and shit like that but I think the anime did a decent job of crunching 2,000 pages of growing up and the decline of Tetsuo's mental health. The anime only included a little bit about the rebellious teenage freedom fighters but it was mostly an action movie with some decent writing.

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