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?
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?