When a live action version of the manga and anime classic Akira was first announced a couple of years, it was being fast-tracked to the point where it should have been in cinemas already. However it’s hit numerous stumbling blocks over the script, cast and crew, and so is still attempting to get off the ground. For the last few months Albert and Allen Hughes (The Book Of Eli) have been in the directing chair, but they recently left (perhaps because of difficulties in finding decent cast members for the main roles).
Now Variety reports that Warner Bros. has set a deal with director Jaume Collet-Serra to take over their live-action adaptation of Akira. He will helm Akira from a screenplay that’s been through several hands, although most recently Harry Potter scripter Steve Kloves has been working on it. The story centres on Kaneda, the leader of a New Manhattan biker gang who tries to rescue his friend, Tetsuo, from a mysterious medical experiment.
However casting still reamins an issue, with the likes of Keanu Reeves having already passed on the movie, and Warner keen to get a big star to lead the movie. The film will be budgeted at $90 million, which is fairly modest for a big, futuristic sci-fi flick.