AKIRA - Live-Action Adaptation

Keep in mind that most of this can only be called speculation, and the only thing I know for certain is that people are making a Live-Action Adaptation of AKIRA that may be:

• set in modern-day New York City.
• directed re-written by Steve Kloves.
• starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Leonardo Dicaprio.

DID PEOPLE NOT FUCKING LEARN WHEN THE LAST AIRBENDER MADE THE ASIAN COMMUNITY GO BATSHIT INSANE?!

Even if they market it as "Inspired by… AKIRA," the name association is kind of working against it.

edited 22nd Feb '11 2:17:10 PM by Sharysa

[1] But yeah, actual news articles would be good... looks like there's a whole lot of speculation, i.e. nothing.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.

Even the speculation doesn't bode well—not once have I heard a Japanese(-American) name in any of the news articles. I love Leo and JGL, but I will NOT see this movie if the casting ends up final.

I'm also hoping that they don't do the motorcycle, because that is THE thing most people associate with the original. Fuck it being an Homage, they'd be ripping it off.

EDIT: Found a news site.

edited 22nd Feb '11 10:13:43 AM by Sharysa

The anime style of characters tends to confuse a lot of filmmakers into believing said characters are American instead of Japanese. *headdesk*

On the other hand, the plans might be dead due to Development Hell—it was originally planned for release in 2009 and Warner Bros have heard all the noise about white-washing and racism.

This makes me cautiously optimistic.

edited 22nd Feb '11 10:36:33 AM by Sharysa

I dunno, if there should ever be an american version of a manga or anime, I guess it'd make more sense to have American actors for a mainly American audience  ^{Mandatory Meme}

, I mean, I do not get the same problematic vibes with this (highly theoretical at this point) setup than with Avatar, since it's supposed to be set in the states and then logically would feature Americans.

The problem with TLA was, as far as I could see, white main actors while their neighbors and yes, even family, were of various other ethnic groups. Now that says a couple of unflattering things about the casting, but this? Nah. The biggest problem with this set-up would probably be that the Akira name wouldn't fit all that well with an American setting.

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O_o

Wait, is that a joke, I feel so out of the loop.

edited 22nd Feb '11 10:53:54 AM by Tzetze

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.

What happened to The Hughes Brothers directing? Weren't they supposed to follow up The Book of Eli with this?

Also, James Franco and Brad Pitt have been attached to play Kaneda. Franco left due to a busy schedule and Pitt is considering but is a little old for the part. My suggestion would be Anton Yelchin.

edited 22nd Feb '11 11:27:48 AM by Buscemi

More Buscemi at http://forum.reelsociety.com/

I think the problem with TLA (besides the whitewashing itself) that made it unacceptable was a) Avatarverse is Fantasy Counterpart Asia b) the actors sucked. As far as I know a Japanese setting isn't crucial to Akira, and JGL, Di Caprio, Franco, and Pitt aren't terribad (although I think Pitt would be pretty damn weird in this movie... he is neither a young man nor child-shaped. Wait...).

edited 22nd Feb '11 11:32:47 AM by melloncollie

Wait, wait, wait. DIRECTED by Steve Kloves? He's rewriting it. He's a writer. The Hughes Bros. are directing.

Actually, Cordon-Levitt and Di Caprio aren't half bad choices; even though the latter is too old for the part, he doesn't really look it.

I'll turn your neocortex into a flowerpot!

I'm withholding judgment till we leave speculation country.

Better than Efron.

edited 22nd Feb '11 1:15:57 PM by Zyxzy

What's the frequency Kenneth?|In case of war.

me want long and hard

Untitled Power Rangers Story

I'd say worst case scenario it'd be something more akin to the live action Dragon Ball flick than The Last Airbender.

With it's basic premise I actually don't think it would be very difficult to culture-wash it, but even then, again with New York? We sure haven't had enough movies take place in New York lately, no siree!

But on the plus side, you'd have actors saying things like «Neo New York» completely seriously.

[1] This facsimile operated in part by synAC.

Edited my first post due to the mistake about Steve Kloves' job.

I love JGL and Leo and I'm immensely glad that they are better actors than Nicola Peltz and Jackson Rathbone, but AKIRA was kind of revolutionary for anime, with a VERY special place in a lot of Asian fan's hearts. To not even consider Japanese-AMERICAN actors for the roles in an adaptation of a Japanese work gave me a knee-jerk "Asians are getting shafted again" feeling.

What are they going to call it now, since there are (currently) no Asians in the cast? Nobody's going to buy it if a movie called "Akira" is populated mostly by white people.

edited 22nd Feb '11 2:26:14 PM by Sharysa

I dunno, I think an American movie who tries its very very very hardest to pretend its Japanese would just alienate both non-Japophile American audiences and Japanese audiences. Of course, I can sympathize with how hard it is to get a halfway decent role in American movies if you're Asian-American, but I don't think I Can't Believe It's Not Japanese will help anyone.

As for the name? Bob maybe?

edited 22nd Feb '11 2:48:43 PM by slowzombie

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The I Can't Believe Its Not Japanese trope is bound to alienate any loyal fan of anime in general, so right there, producers who make that decision are making a poor one.

Believe it or not, I think a live-action Akira could be done. Of course, a lot would have to be changed, maybe even the title, but it's possible.

I think the only cultural barrier that would need to be overcome in the setting would be the Shinto mysticism that shows up in the original, and that could be retooled as (fundamentalist?) Christian apocalyptic mysticism.

Overall, I'd like to see something more in the line of The Seven Samuari -> The Magnificent Seven, the setting (and medium in this case) reimagined, but still carrying the core ideas and themes. As opposed than Dragonball Z -> Dragonball Evolution.

edited 22nd Feb '11 4:19:49 PM by Eschaton

It wouldn't be "pretending" to be Japanese, it would be faithful to the original production—meaning that it would have a built-in audience of Japanophiles and Japanese people who want to see how much work was put into it.

edited 22nd Feb '11 4:31:58 PM by Sharysa

My problem here, I see the option where relatively minor changes produce a massive fan outcry, despite possibly giving the movie a broader overall appeal, thus not making it utter economicide to make the thing. I guess I'm a glass half empty kind of guy, but I only see two outcomes, either the movie changes stuff and the fans get mad or they keep everything the same at which point people realize they probably can get the original cheaper.

So, in short, I don't really see the problem of changing elements of a story you remake, since bending over backwards to make the same movie over strikes me as an exercise in pointlessness.

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The comic was mediocre and the movie was overrated and nonsensical. Why would they want to reboot Akira in anyway? If new material must be made, then extend the it from what was already made, a sequel, a prequel, and different point of view, attempt to tell a better story than rehash one that wasn't that spectacular.

Modified Ura-nage, Torture Rack

I'd be accepting of changes if they actually make for a good movie. And I mean, let's be honest, it's not as if the plot was the movie's strong point (can't speak for the manga, as I haven't read far enough).

I'll turn your neocortex into a flowerpot!

I think that doing an In Name Only remake is far worse than doing a frame by frame remake. I can't understand why people think the Psycho remake is the worst remake ever simply because it closely follows the original while a remake like Pathfinder or Clash of the Titans is allowed to slide.

More Buscemi at http://forum.reelsociety.com/

People let Clash of The Titans slide? That movie sucked!

I'll turn your neocortex into a flowerpot!