Poll: Akira Remake...What is wrong with that phrase?

[darthmocha]

So recently a friend of mine from college forwarded me some information on a live action, big budget remake of Akira. Yes, Akira, the most classic of anime films that summed up the genre for an entire generation that is not just a masterpiece of animation, but writing as well. It introduced many people to a world where cartoons could be visceral, gritty, and evoke the same emotions as a live action film. So, what is wrong here? In a word everything.

The live action version is being moved from Tokyo to New York. The characters are being changed to white characters and Robert Pattinson and Zac Efron are on the shortlist and in negotiations to play in a lead role. I'm not joking I'm entirely serious. Regardless of who is cast, Tetsuo is becoming 'Travis' and Kaneda is now 'Kevin', and I will reiterate I am not joking. Apparently, many of the darker themes of the original are being thrown out and rewritten to give it a PG-13 rating as well by the writers and crew who brought you the Book of Eli. It is slated by IMDB to have a 2013 release date.

So what does everyone think about this? Are you as horrified and mildly disgusted as I am?

 

[BonsaiK]

To be honest the original was sloppily paced, poorly written and an hour too long. There's a good chance a remake might improve on it.

 

[Carne]

I think it has the potential to use more of the original story than the anime. However that PG-13 rating will hold it back. Worse yet it will probably be americanized. They might as well drop the Akira name instead of trying to garner nostalgia.

 

[conflictofinterests]

So recently a friend of mine from college forwarded me some information on a live action, big budget remake of Akira. Yes, Akira, the most classic of anime films that summed up the genre for an entire generation that is not just a masterpiece of animation, but writing as well. It introduced many people to a world where cartoons could be visceral, gritty, and evoke the same emotions as a live action film. So, what is wrong here? In a word everything.

The live action version is being moved from Tokyo to New York. The characters are being changed to white characters and Robert Pattinson and Zac Efron are on the shortlist and in negotiations to play in a lead role. I'm not joking I'm entirely serious. Regardless of who is cast, Tetsuo is becoming 'Travis' and Kaneda is now 'Kevin', and I will reiterate I am not joking. Apparently, many of the darker themes of the original are being thrown out and rewritten to give it a PG-13 rating as well by the writers and crew who brought you the Book of Eli. It is slated by IMDB to have a 2013 release date.

So what does everyone think about this? Are you as horrified and mildly disgusted as I am?

"HEY GUYS, LET'S MAKE A MOVIE FOR TWEENS. WHAT'S IN THE PLOTLINE BARGAIN BIN?"

*insert very VERY basic summary of plot line of "butchered" property*

"Uh, boss, something already did that... I mean, with some tweaking we could make it seem mostly original, or we could just buy the rights to the property to make this film..."

"YES. DO THAT."

"But sir, I said we could either do this or..."

"WHY AREN'T YOU DONE WRITING YET?!"

^ That's what happened.

 

[Tautology]

Each change individually is so terrifying that I can't wrap my mind around the whole picture. I simply have no words to describe the horror.

It's simply Lovecraftian. I guess those words work.

I'll probably see it for the same reason I'm going to see Atlas Shrugged: To see a train-wreck. I'll than kick myself for wasting my money, like I did with Watchmen. I'm of the mind that Hollywood doesn't care about the source material, they know they'll get our money with crap anyway.

Still, it might be good.

 

[Teachingaddict]

So recently a friend of mine from college forwarded me some information on a live action, big budget remake of Akira. Yes, Akira, the most classic of anime films that summed up the genre for an entire generation that is not just a masterpiece of animation, but writing as well. It introduced many people to a world where cartoons could be visceral, gritty, and evoke the same emotions as a live action film. So, what is wrong here? In a word everything.

The live action version is being moved from Tokyo to New York. The characters are being changed to white characters and Robert Pattinson and Zac Efron are on the shortlist and in negotiations to play in a lead role. I'm not joking I'm entirely serious. Regardless of who is cast, Tetsuo is becoming 'Travis' and Kaneda is now 'Kevin', and I will reiterate I am not joking. Apparently, many of the darker themes of the original are being thrown out and rewritten to give it a PG-13 rating as well by the writers and crew who brought you the Book of Eli. It is slated by IMDB to have a 2013 release date.

So what does everyone think about this? Are you as horrified and mildly disgusted as I am?

Love the idea, hate the choicesm seriously Robert "Im a glittering vampie woooo" Pattinson and Tweenie bopper Zac Effron - I have images from the final scenes of Episode 3 going through my head now...


Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

 

[RedEyesBlackGamer]

I hated the original, but this just sounds bad. Reality warping bad.

 

[Raistlinhawke]

I would really need an imdb link or something, cause this is too hard to believe, or maybe I just really don't want to.

Then again, the long in development (and long maligned) 'Cowboy Beebop' Americanization with Keanu Reeves as Spike has been delayed into infinite implausibility, so here's hoping a similar fate will befall this terrible idea of a project.

 

[Fiz_The_Toaster]

Ya know, when I first heard about this being made, I had some reservations about it since most of the time they movie makers behind it almost always fuck it up.

The more I hear about it the more I wish they would just stop, burn the script, and slap the idiot that decided to do that. I think the only time I will see it is when it hits the tv, there's no way in hell I'm paying for that train wreck of a turd.

 

[Nautical Honors Society]

Yea why not? Leonardo Dicaprio is producing it so I am sure he is going to get a really good team to put it together.

 

[Aurgelmir]

To be honest the original was sloppily paced, poorly written and an hour too long. There's a good chance a remake might improve on it.

This. Although it was that because thats just how stuff was back then.

The Akira movie is a tad over rated IMO, and a lot of what goes on doesn't really make sense unless you have read the Manga.

 

[Rylot]

It is slated by IMDB to have a 2013 release date.

I am now rooting for the world to end in 2012
In all seriousness I'm probably just going to skip this one. While the original animation wasn't perfect it was something so uniquely Japanese and Anime that changing every single element makes it into something completely different. I don't understand why film makers can't just make their own films and in the credits say what inspired by ______.

 

[Dr. Pepper Unlimited]

As much hype as Akira got before I actually saw it, I was very disappointed when I actually saw the film. I thought it was horrible from start to finish. I doubt I'd touch this one either, improvements or not.

 

[A Weary Exile]

Each change individually is so terrifying that I can't wrap my mind around the whole picture. I simply have no words to describe the horror.

It's simply Lovecraftian. I guess those words work.

I'll probably see it for the same reason I'm going to see Atlas Shrugged: To see a train-wreck. I'll than kick myself for wasting my money, like I did with Watchmen. I'm of the mind that Hollywood doesn't care about the source material, they know they'll get our money with crap anyway.

Still, it might be good.

Woah woah woah! Back the hell up!

Atlas Shrugged

They're actually going to make a movie out of that? That was one of the least enjoyable books I've ever read, the movie will probably suck just as hard. I can't imagine what would possess someone to try and make a film out of Atlas Shrugged.

...and I liked Watchmen. :S

OP: Never saw Akira but all those changes sound just awful. I don't understand why movie producers (Or whoever makes these changes) think that Americans can't handle anything that isn't centered on the good ol' US OF FUCKING A! Why do we have to whitewash everything that's foreign FFS?

 

[Tautology]

Each change individually is so terrifying that I can't wrap my mind around the whole picture. I simply have no words to describe the horror.

It's simply Lovecraftian. I guess those words work.

I'll probably see it for the same reason I'm going to see Atlas Shrugged: To see a train-wreck. I'll than kick myself for wasting my money, like I did with Watchmen. I'm of the mind that Hollywood doesn't care about the source material, they know they'll get our money with crap anyway.

Still, it might be good.

Woah woah woah! Back the hell up!

Atlas Shrugged

They're actually going to make a movie out of that? That was one of the least enjoyable books I've ever read, the movie will probably suck just as hard. I can't imagine what would possess someone to try and make a film out of Atlas Shrugged.

...and I liked Watchmen. :S

OP: Never saw Akira but all those changes sound just awful. I don't understand why movie producers (Or whoever makes these changes) think that Americans can't handle anything that isn't centered on the good ol' US OF FUCKING A! Why do we have to whitewash everything that's foreign FFS?

Atlas Shrugged opens April 15. Kinda quick, learned about it two weeks ago.

 

[Simon Pettersson]

HELL NO!! Akira is an awsome movie and I would not want to see it destroyed.

 

[Gottesstrafe]

If the Godzilla [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120685/] (1998) and Dragonball: Evolution [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1098327/] (2009) American remakes have taught us anything, it would be that this is a train wreck just waiting to happen. Small comfort, though, that this may become infinitely better as potential riffing material in the future.

Now, an American Gundam or Haruhi ripoff I would love to see, if only for the inadvertently hilariously bad dialogue.

 

[wezzipooh]

Akira is the most overrated anime ever made. Heres a video plot summary:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J4COLV6CleU