Live-Action Akira Shuts Down

[vansau]

Live-Action Akira Shuts Down

After years of Development Hell and problems with casting, budgets, and script, it sounds like Hollywood's Akira is getting cancelled. Again.

Remember the live-action adaptation of Akira? The movie that was supposed to be a two-film epic? <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/forums/read/7.287306-Akira-Director-Leaves-the-Gang>The project that the director left? That <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/111690-Live-Action-Akira-Film-Is-Still-Getting-Made>Jaume Collet-Serra got attached to because he can make horror movies cheaply? The movie that Warner Bros. <a href=http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/113781-Warner-Bros-Officially-Greenlights-Live-Action-Akira>officially greenlit back in October? Yeah, it's just been cancelled again, and this time it sounds like a pretty definite thing.

According to The Hollywood Reporter:

The project, which has been through several incarnations, is being shut down in the face of casting, script and budget 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.

Reportedly, Collet-Serra is sitting down with the film's producers to see if they can resolve some of these issues by re-tooling the script. However, if things aren't fixed within a couple of weeks, the movie is apparently going to be sent back to Development Hell where it will (theoretically) rot for another decade or so.

From the sound of things, getting cancelled may be the best thing that can happen to Akira at this point. Rumors state that Collet-Serra needs to bring the production budget down to $60-70 million, which is even further down from the already-reduced budget of $90 million that the production had at the time of official greenlighting. Even if Warner Bros. does wind up making a live-action adaptation of the anime hit, would you really want to see something that had been so whittled down?

Source: <a href=http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/akira-production-shut-down-budget-warner-bros-278729>The Hollywood Reporter



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[RedEyesBlackGamer]

The movie that no one wanted is cancelled? Uhhhh......yay? I don't know how to react.

 

[DJDarque]

This is excellent news!

 

[Lunar Templar]

good couldn't have happened to a better movie

 

[Fasckira]

I imagine it must be hard for all parties involved to have any motivation to proceed at all now - no budget, rapidly vanishing support and the whole world repeating that this is an incredibly bad idea. Glad its on the exit though, though part of me thinks if this did get made with such a small budget then at the very least it could become a humerous b-movie to be played with friends round and a few tinnies.

 

[War Penguin]

This is definitely for the best. Some things should just stay as they are and not get a reboot.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

This is good for two reasons:

1. I don't have to imagine what a distinctly Japanese movie (and Manga series) is going to look like filtered through the understanding of the West as a blockbuster.

2. I don't have to hear the astonishing amount of bitching from the fringe element of the Anime fanbase (who are as annoying as any fringe element) about the above point.


All is well with the world. Alright Studio Gonzo, get to work on a propper adaptation of the Akira manga, the time is right.

 

[Swifteye]

I'm glad they decided to cancel it. I can barely stand the complaints people make when stuff gets rebooted. Especially on this website.

 

[Wilbot666]

I am happy about this cancellation. Not many (if any) of the anime-to-celluloid projects so far have exactly been high in the quality stakes.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

Well isn't this just tragic.

This makes me very happy, and it's probably for the best seeing as I doubt it would resemble nothing to what it originally was.

 

[LilithSlave]

If only this happened to that atrocity that was DragonBall: Evolution.

 

[Carboncrown]

...in hindsight, I'm not actually happy.

I mean, I'm definately not sad either, but a part of me wouldn't have minded seeing just how bad it could've been.

 

[wooty]

After watching Hollywood butcher other Japanese films such as The Ring, The Grudge and One Missed Call, I'm glad this has been stopped.

Keep the original, watch the original, feel enlightened/shit scared once you do.

 

[Something Amyss]

I feel...a great disturbance in the Force as if a million fanboys all cried out in joy, and then were suddenly silenced.

 

[keideki]

Huzzah!

I never wanted his movie to happen in the first place. It was doomed to be terribad anyways. I think I might actually have an Akira Live Action Movie Cancelled party!

 

[Scarim Coral]

Spoiler: I believe this call for a party!

I mean seriously everyone is rejoice with this news!

 

[newwiseman]

When I saw a Chronicle trailer this last weekend I though I was seeing an Akira trailer, until I noticed there were zero motorcycles and pill jackets.

Considering I never wanted a live action Akira movie I'm very happy from this outcome, the last thing any of us need is another Dragon Ball Evolution...

 

[Treblaine]

I don't know how to describe how I feel about this news, but allow this video to illustrate:


Yes.

Yes. Oh god yes! There is a god! There is a Buddah! There is Tom Cruise Scientology benevolent Lizard! There is justice in this universe! Warner Bros earns 1 trillion internets for ending this travesty.

It's over.