Akira Director Leaves the Gang

[Tom Goldman]

Akira Director Leaves the Gang

Warner Bros. needs a new director for the live-action Akira movie.

The ups and downs, which seem to be mostly downs, of Warner Bros.' live-action movie adaptation of the Akira manga [http://www.amazon.com/Akira-Blu-ray-Mitsuo-Iwata/dp/B001LMU182/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1306513656&sr=8-1] continue. The project has now lost its director, prompting Warner to search for a new one.

Deadline reports that Albert Hughes, tapped to direct in early 2010 [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/98217-Akira-Movie-to-Be-Directed-By-Hughes-Brothers], has departed ways due to "amicable creative differences" with Warner. Warner hopes to put Hughes on another project as soon as possible while it begins the hunt for a new director that can handle the big-budget Akira.

Warner still has Akira on the fast track, though recently seemed to have hit a setback when negotiations to previous list [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/109847-Keanu-Reeves-Negotiating-for-Lead-Role-in-Akira] of desired actors, which includes Joaquin Phoenix and Robert Pattinson, it made before deciding to go for a bigger star like Reeves.

I know that Warner's efforts to create a live-action version of Akira have been universally criticized by just about everyone on the planet, but I'm personally intrigued to see what the studio eventually comes up with. If these setbacks ever end, that is.

Source: Deadline [http://www.deadline.com/2011/05/albert-hughes-exiting-akira-at-warner-bros/]

Permalink

 

[drakythe]

So long as they make the movie have an ACTUAL storyline, I'll see it. The movie is god awful since you miss out on about 3/4s of the manga plot, and it seems to try and be faithful so it doesn't add anything in to make up for that, so what you get is a big pile of scenes linked together by something but certainly not a plot.

So yeah, give the movie a plot, using the Akira setting and basic storyline, and I'll be a happy camper.

 

[Irridium]

Perhaps its time to, you know, stop?

I mean, with all these setbacks, I doubt it'll even be good. And this isn't even factoring in what they might have done to try and "Americanize" it.

I haven't seen the anime or read the manga, so it doesn't really bother me that much, but come on. Just let this one go, it won't end well for anyone.

 

[Mr. GameBrain]

Just let it go Warner Bros. Let it go.

No one wants to make a Americanised Akira movie, no wants to act for it.
And more importantly: No one wants to watch a Americanised Akira movie.

 

[Fursnake]

This is fate telling them to NOT MAKE THIS MOVIE! There is no way they will not fark it up with the direction they are going with it as it stands.

 

[Daystar Clarion]

This is fate Waner Bros., fate is telling you...

[HEADING=1]TO.NOT.DO.THIS.[/HEADING]

 

[Gamegodtre]

Just let it go Warner Bros. Let it go.

No one wants to make a Americanised Akira movie, no wants to act for it.
And more importantly: No one wants to watch a Americanised Akira movie.

why not just rerelease the original akira in theathers and just call it new? tht solution makes sense, also iwould just toc how bad it is thnk about the lolz

 

[raankh]

Thank god it's not going to be Keanu.

Hearing him going "Teetssuuoooo!" would cost a pretty penny at the dentist after all the teeth-gnashing.

Akira couldn't properly be made into an anime, even by the great Katsuhiro Otomo himself -- even though the anime film is one of my all time favourites, it just doesn't hold a candle to the manga. The scope and awesome epicness of the manga can't be told as a film; perhaps the weirdest two season serial ever, but even then, there's just too much detail and subtlety in that manga.

A live-action film? I'm tasting bile just from the thought.

 

[SomethingUnrelated]

Are there any directors at the moment feeling any commitment to their projects? All I keep hearing about is how directors are leaving films...

 

[TheAngryMonkey]

Perhaps its time to, you know, stop?

I mean, with all these setbacks, I doubt it'll even be good. And this isn't even factoring in what they might have done to try and "Americanize" it.

I haven't seen the anime or read the manga, so it doesn't really bother me that much, but come on. Just let this one go, it won't end well for anyone.

I would recommend watching the 1994 release of the movie, they changed the dubbing in 2002. You are missing out my friend. And the movie doesn't even come close to giving the whole series it's reps.

 

[TheAngryMonkey]

Rats fleeing the sinking ship. Everyone is beginning to realise what a fucking disaster this film is/will be/might be.

Totally agree. Warner cut your losses, no one wants this movie.

It's been a total fail since day one, years ago.

I have never heard anyone from "I can't wait for this movie" camp.

 

[Casual Shinji]

The only way to make a succes out this whole situation is to just make a documentary about getting this project off the ground and all the set backs it's indured.

Kind of like Lost in la Mancha.

 

[sketch_zeppelin]

This movie is going to be a train wreck. Akira is too big of a story to effectivly fit into a 90 minute movie. If you want proof just watch the anime. Don't get me wrong, the Animation is gorgeous but the story when compared to the books is kind of a mess. Even still it was at least intresting to sit through the first time. The live action movie won't have that. As i said before, the animation was a big factor for making the Anime a succes. A live adataion of the story isn't going to be able to hold audiences attention. Don't belive me, the just look at the Aeon Flux movie.

Aeon Flux is one of the cartoons that people watched because it was so weird, not just the story but the animaiton in particular. It lost that when it was made into a live action film and Akira will be no different.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

So long as they make the movie have an ACTUAL storyline, I'll see it. The movie is god awful since you miss out on about 3/4s of the manga plot, and it seems to try and be faithful so it doesn't add anything in to make up for that, so what you get is a big pile of scenes linked together by something but certainly not a plot.

So yeah, give the movie a plot, using the Akira setting and basic storyline, and I'll be a happy camper.

If I enjoyed the movie a great deal, would I therefore enjoy the Manga more? I find film an easy way to ease someone into a genre: show them a decent adaptation and it may inspire them to read the source. Worked on me for Lord of the Rings.

OT:

Warner Brothers, stop. This is a highbrow idea, but not one you should pursue further. Put that money to good use else where.

 

[beema]

I'm praying to Zeus that we will continue getting news like this until every last person attached to this movie, down to the guy who cleans the trailer bathrooms, quits this fucking abortion of a project.

 

[ShadowKatt]

Man, screw you all, I want to see this movie!

Give me the directors chair, I'll direct the damn thing if no one else will.

 

[Anti-Robot Man]

I really doubt this film will ever escape development hell. Translating manga/anime to live-action is usually inadvisable, especially in this case where sheer complexity and detail is the main draw.

Realising a Neo-Tokyo type environment on film isn't impossible, Blade Runner is proof of that. But it will be very challenging and expensive - you combine that with a story that probably won't appeal to a general audience and a financial need to keep it PG-13 - I just can't see how Warner Bros. thinks its viable for adaption. They should at least test the waters by adapting a less ambitious anime first.

I will credit Warner that they do put their money where their mouth is, we've seen them stump up huge budgets to realise genre movies before (the Matrix movies for example, and by the looks of it Green Lantern). The problem is they're not so great at choosing which scripts to pump those resources into.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

This is fate Waner Bros., fate is telling you...

[HEADING=1]TO.NOT.DO.THIS.[/HEADING]

Hell yes! This is a sign to Warner Bros. to just give it up and let it the hell alone.

OT: Good, maybe sense will come to them and just drop it, I REALLY don't want an Americanized Akira, that would really just be terrible.