Warner Bros.' Live-Action AKIRA Movie Is Currently Stalled...AGAIN

Warner Bros.' Live-Action AKIRA Movie Is Currently Stalled...AGAIN

Director Jaume Collet-Serra says that Warner Bros.' live-action Akira movie is currently dead in the water. Is this on again, off again project now officially dead?

News
By MarkJulian - Mar 08, 2015 10:03 AM EST
Filed Under: Anime & Manga
Source: Collider
While at a junket for his new movie, Run All Night, director Jaume Collet-Serra says that development on the live-action Akira movie has stalled. Just last year, Collet-Serra was reportedly actively developing the project but he told Collider that he's going to take a break after filming Non-Stop and Run All Night back-to-back.  With that news in mind, is the live-action Akira movie officially dead? Collet-Serra says that he's unsure and that it's something that WB must decide.  However, if the project does begin anew, it sounds as if Collet-Serra won't be directing as he's a bit burned out after directing two films in three years.  Back in January 2012, Warner Bros. shutdown production on the live-action Akira film, despite securing a talented cast that included Garret Hedlund, Ken Watanabe, Helena Bonham Carter and  Kristen Stewart.
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PkBlitz
PkBlitz - 3/8/2015, 11:05 AM
Run All Night and Non-stop? am I the only one who sees a pattern here? lol
rabid
rabid - 3/8/2015, 11:09 AM
I'm itching for this movie to be made, but they need to stop hiring people with busy schedules because this one needs to be someone's labor of love project.
THEDARKKNIGHT1939
THEDARKKNIGHT1939 - 3/8/2015, 11:10 AM
Unless this stays true to the movie, don't really care.
Chekkarma
Chekkarma - 3/8/2015, 11:13 AM
Good.Don't wanna see a bastardized American version of Akira.
BritishMonkey
BritishMonkey - 3/8/2015, 11:22 AM
It'll never happen, I feel.
BlackIceJoe
BlackIceJoe - 3/8/2015, 11:23 AM
I think this is good news in disguise. I highly doubt the movie would be as good as the anime. Plus this way the movie can't become a whitewashed film too.
SpiderFraud
SpiderFraud - 3/8/2015, 11:28 AM
I been waiting some time to see a Akira movie on the big screen. Even if they do mess it up, I still want to see them try.

Personally, I would rather see Cowboy Bebop be made first. The potential for something great is really high with that movie.
Luminus
Luminus - 3/8/2015, 11:30 AM
"Collet-Serra was reportedly actively developing the project but he told Collider that he's going to take a break after filming Non-Stop and Run All Night back-to-back"

How can you make the same movie back to back with different titles? lol.
Jayce81
Jayce81 - 3/8/2015, 11:34 AM
This is great news. Akira already exists perfectly in movie form. And the story itself is such a profoundly Japanese story, reflecting the state of japan in the 80s and their post WW2 history.
You can't simply move the setting to Neo-New York, keep the bikes and psychic powers and expect it to function in a similar fashion.

Also. To make a proper Akira movie, you would have to have an insanely high budget, while keeping the story complex and multi-faceted, which is the opposite of Hollywood blockbusters. If they really did go all out, I could see the finished result suffer a similar fate like that of Watchmen. Too offbeat to become successful and unloved by hardcore fans.
Enphlieuwince
Enphlieuwince - 3/8/2015, 11:42 AM
It's funny how other countries have been borrowing from America's entertainment industry for decades - everything from music to movies to fashion - yet, when it comes time for Hollywood to adapt a film from a different culture, it is frowned upon by so many. Overlooking the hypocrisy of it all, I get the legitimacy of the contempt because when a filmmaker doesn't get it, we end up with Dragonball: Evolution. That being said, if when Hollywood does get live action Manga/anime adaptations right, it will be a glorious thing. Because, let's be real, who does it better when comparing the number of quality films that have come out of Hollywood as opposed to anywhere else?? I'll wait... How soon we forget that we had to endure Batman & Robin and Superman III before we could enjoy Ironman, X2, and, The Dark Knight trilogy that came to fruition. It takes practice to hone perfection and failures to identify the deficiencies. And I have yet to see anyone gushing over the Gatchaman movie from last year. So scoff if you will, but, let's keep things in perspective. We have access to more talent, proven to be better promoters, and our reach in the entertainment industry is unparalleled. You should be happy that Hollywood is willing to give this genre a chance.
DeusExSponge
DeusExSponge - 3/8/2015, 11:58 AM
How about a live action Shingeki no Kyojin? Hollywoods magic would seriously benefit that movie and what not.
COREY6487
COREY6487 - 3/8/2015, 11:59 AM
will all the destruction WB like doing this is kinda shocking... i would love an akira movie
marvel72
marvel72 - 3/8/2015, 12:04 PM
Just adapt the manga into a new anime series.
TheAmericanPatriot
TheAmericanPatriot - 3/8/2015, 12:15 PM
Oh thank God! No one wants White Akira Holllywood!
Aeyan
Aeyan - 3/8/2015, 12:18 PM
Good!
grif
grif - 3/8/2015, 12:21 PM
no way
CombatWombat
CombatWombat - 3/8/2015, 12:34 PM
What a relief.
rorywilliams
rorywilliams - 3/8/2015, 12:50 PM
Thank god. Let this whitewashed bollocks finally die.
SpiderFraud
SpiderFraud - 3/8/2015, 1:25 PM
@Enphlieuwince

That is the smartest and most logical comment in this thread. It's crazy how many people are happy about this movie not being made because of some lame excuses.

If Hollywood thought like them, we would never get any live action anime movies (Japan can't even get it right). I'm just waiting for the anime boom to happen over here.
rorywilliams
rorywilliams - 3/8/2015, 1:27 PM
"If Hollywood thought like them, we would never get any live action anime movies"

Given that the ones we have gotten were utter shit, that's no big loss. Trust me, nobody is losing sleep over the thought of not having wimpy white kid Peter Parker Goku from that lame DBZ movie.
SpiderFraud
SpiderFraud - 3/8/2015, 1:30 PM
@rorywilliams

What are you even talking about?
Berserker187
Berserker187 - 3/8/2015, 1:30 PM
Yeah it's been on hold for the longest what's new
prettynucIear
prettynucIear - 3/8/2015, 1:31 PM
akira is pretty lame in my opinion. berserk is much better.
SpiderFraud
SpiderFraud - 3/8/2015, 1:44 PM
@Vegeta

Speak for yourself.

I love anime/manga and I still want to see them get made into movies. Just because you don't want them, doesn't mean all anime fans feel the same.
Scarilian
Scarilian - 3/8/2015, 1:45 PM
Going to be honest here, this only interests me as a live action movie if it has a different plotline to the animated movie and much better character development, as the original movie had very little. Looking at the artistic style of the concept art, this would have been a movie that would have taken a post apocalyptic sci-fi vibe that i dont believe we have seen much of in recent years.

I believe that the intention of the original was that Tetsuo and Kaneda were essentially blank slates so the audience didnt have to absorb tons of information about the characters that wasnt necessary. A similar situation has occured in other anime movies where character development is ignored for the sake of focusing on other aspects of the movie.

Though i have been aware the manga is a billion times better than the movie, as it actually does develop them as something more than bland unrelateable characters. I'm pretty sure we could have a trilogy adapted from the manga and that would actually tell the story a lot better than the movie, which is mostly famous because of its animation rather than its plot.
seven43861
seven43861 - 3/8/2015, 1:57 PM
They should help to make this happen instead: http://www.bartkira.com because this is going to be mind blowingly awesome.
SpiderFraud
SpiderFraud - 3/8/2015, 1:59 PM
@Vegeta

Anime is great but it's still a different medium from live action movies. I would to see some of my favorites being adapted into "real life" on a huge screen.

If they did adapt these anime shows into movies and made the people that wanted it happy, how would that hurt the people that don't want it?

I get why some people wouldn't want this type of medium adapted, but it doesn't hurt you guys if they did. Unless it sucks ballz, then both sides lose, lol.
rorywilliams
rorywilliams - 3/8/2015, 2:35 PM
@SpiderFraud The terrible live action Dbz movie.

Hollywood does not need to be remaking and whitewashing these titles. Was there anyone who saw Dragon Ball and said "Wow that was amazing. this puts the comics and anime to shame!"?

No.

Superhero movies are great because it puts the world we grew up with on the screen. So far Hollywood's attempts at anime have consisted of neutering the source material dramatically, making everyone white, and cheaping out on the budgets.
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