THR report that Warner Bros. planned live action adap of the classic Manga/Anime has hit yet another bump in the road. This time budgetary issues have prompted the studio to halt production and "send everybody home".
From THR..
The project, which has been through several incarnations, is being shut down in the face of casting and budgetary issues. The production offices in Vancouver are being closed, with below-the-line talent and crew told to stop working. “Everybody is being sent home,” according to an insider.
If the issues cannot be resolved, the project could end up being shelved entirely, say insiders.
The latest director on board the project, Jaume Collet-Serra, has already got the budget down to half of what the previous incarnation under Albert Hughes would have cost, but apparently that still isn't enough for WB. With Garret Hedlund the only actor officially signed on, they feel in order to secure the likes of Kristen Stewart, Helena Bonham Carter and Ken Wattanabe that further cuts need to be made. But before fans jump for joy it seems all hope is not lost for the movie as
"Sources close to the project say Akira isn't dead yet. “It’s a very resilient movie,” says one insider. “Warner Bros. just won’t let it die.”.