When it comes to anime movies, few titles are bigger than Akira. Creator Katsuhiro Otomo put the feature on the world stage decades ago, and now Akira is being hailed as one of the best sci-fi movies of all time. A few years ago, reports surfaced that Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi was looking to take on Akira with a Hollywood adaptation. And now, an update indicates that Waititi is still working on the movie.
The update comes from Justin Krolll, a senior correspondent for Deadline, in the aftermath of Star Wars Celebration this weekend. There has been confirmation by Disney and Lucasfilm that Waititi will direct a Star Wars movie, but no word has been given on when. Kroll stepped up to answer the question and said a Star Wars movie would likely begin once Waititi had his way with Akira.
Since everyone is wondering where his STAR WARS movie is, if I were a betting man, I think Taika’s next movie is his AKIRA movie at WB, which he shelved to do L&T. studio soon,” Kroll shared. Again, nothing is set in stone as the film will go through a regular process before being green-lighted including setting a budget but all of his focus seems to be on this project.
To be honest, this update on Akira is one of the first we’ve had in ages. In 2017, reports surfaced linking Waititi to a live-action adaptation, and Warner Bros. has gone on to schedule an Akira release. However, the studio finished scheduling Akira once Waititi agreed to focus on Thor: Love and Thunder for Marvel Studios. At the time, it was not clear if Warner Bros. It would forever tweak the Akira adaptation, but that doesn’t seem to be the case. According to Kroll, Waititi has kept Akira on his back, and now he’s trying to put together an adaptation.
If you’re not familiar with Akira, well – just know that Waititi has big shoes to fill. The brilliant and groundbreaking Otomo debuted in 1988. Set in a dystopian world, Akira tells the story of Shotaro Kaneda, the leader of a biker gang whose life is turned upside down when their friend is absent from work after his telekinetic powers are unlocked. Akira helped define the cyberpunk genre with its release, and to this day, Otomo is considered by many to be one of the best films in film history. So for those who want to know more about Akira, you can read her official synopsis below:
Neo-Tokyo, 2019. The city is in the process of rebuilding after World War III. The central characters, Kaneda and Tetsuo, two high school dropouts, are members of a motorcycle riding gang. In the opening scene, Kaneda and Tetsuo stumble upon a secret government project to develop animatronic humans From a distance, apparently to use them as weapons. Tetsuo learns of the existence of his “counterpart” Akira, the most powerful subject in the project, and decides to challenge him…”
Would you like to see Waititi take on Akira in a live-action adaptation? Share your thoughts in the comments section below or follow me on Twitter @Megan Peters CB.
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