According to C.H.U.D, via Bloody Disgusting, the live action movie of "Akira" has lost its director Ruairi Robinson, and basically, completely given up the ghost.
Its been rumored for ages now that Leonardo Dicaprios production company would be giving Kaneda, Tetsuo and friends the live action treatment, with Dicaprio himself taking a role in the movie and Joseph Gordon Levitt too. No official reason has been given for the projects demise but it wont be seen as a bad thing by many fans of the Anime, that never thought this movie was a good idea to begin with.
Personally as much as i loved the comics and the animated movie, i really wanted to see a live action take on the story, even if it was completely Americanized, with Neo Tokyo apparently becoming New Manhatten in the script!
Maybe someday somebody else will take up the reigns, but for now its goodbye KANEDAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!