Rumor: High School Musical Heartthrob Offered Lead Role in Akira Movie

[ZombieGenesis]

For those unfamiliar with the manga itself or the issues causing concern here I shall validate the following. The only way to make a GOOD movie based on this would be the following;

1) Gritty, down to earth actors.
2) An R/M rating with extreme violence and rather creepy sexual implications.
3) Keep it in a very Japanese metrapolitan setting.

2 is probably a pipe dream, and 3 is definitely out the window.

A terrible shame, since both are crucial.
I realise since this is just a hollywood cash-in the PG 13 thing is basically a given, and any real adult themes will be stripped out, despite that being the whole point of the story to begin with...
And taking AKIRA out of descolate, pre-war Tokyo is like taking Bladerunner out of China Town. It just doesn't have the same taste.

 

[Casual Shinji]

And here I thought this fucking live-action Akira movie couldn't get any worse.

PG-13? Zac Efron??

Why don't you thow in Justin Bieber while your at it!?

 

[V8 Ninja]

Y'know, comparing pics of Zac Efron to Shotaro Kaneda, they do look very similar (minus Mr. Efron's blond hair). I can't blame the director/agent/whoever for offering him the job. I personally haven't seen Akira since I'm not that "Hardcore" into anime, but I'm not sure if Efron can pull it off. He has never really played an extremely down-to-earth character before, so...ah well, I guess time will tell all.

 

[SinisterGehe]

For those unfamiliar with the manga itself or the issues causing concern here I shall validate the following. The only way to make a GOOD movie based on this would be the following;

1) Gritty, down to earth actors.
2) An R/M rating with extreme violence and rather creepy sexual implications.
3) Keep it in a very Japanese metrapolitan setting.

Thats the basic quality of all Hollywood movies, ain't it not? /sarcasm.

But, why anything that is good and popular needs to be refined to gray matter that will be fed to the mindless audience all around the world.
They can not!!! Add all the good things in to live actions, they will just add some teen-high-spirit, remove drug scenes (THINK OF THE CHILDREN!), and just blow up the interaction between characters.
The original Akira got graphical scenes that Hollywood will not recreate, it might offend someone -.-!

Is it being cynical when you predict something negative and it is always right, doesn't that fit the definition of a wise person?

Edit:

A terrible shame, since both are crucial.
I realise since this is just a hollywood cash-in the PG 13 thing is basically a given, and any real adult themes will be stripped out, despite that being the whole point of the story to begin with...
And taking AKIRA out of descolate, pre-war Tokyo is like taking Bladerunner out of China Town. It just doesn't have the same taste.

What you saying that mid-town New York isn't as desolate... Like they are going to do a scenes of american town that been nuked... Someone might get the wrong idea.

And yeah PG-13 is just cashing, but because some parent might get offended/afraid. They must remove, Drugs, Sex, Blood, Alcohol, High-speeding, Abusing goverment, Goverment that abuses, gangs, "Tripping scenes", The rape scene and clean up the script of profanity... Hold on didn't I just mention the things that ARE THE MOVIE?

 

[AbsoluteVirtue18]

Great! I can't wait to see it.

 

[sabbat]

Nah, I don't buy it. I remember cursing everything under the sun when I heared a rumour that Efron was to play Sagara in a Hollywood remake of Full Metal Panic, and that turned out to be a whole load of shit.

 

[ZombieGenesis]

Though I must say, you know what will be fun?
When Mr Effron performs the character-defining scene for Kaneda, where he fakes his way into the school nurses office, buys a bag of class A drugs from the girl who works there, and completely ignores her hints that he got her pregnant before calling her a stupid ***** and leaving.

After all, they can't leave this kind of crucial stuff out, it would be madness...

 

[Stabby Joe]

For those unfamiliar with the manga itself or the issues causing concern here I shall validate the following. The only way to make a GOOD movie based on this would be the following;

1) Gritty, down to earth actors.
2) An R/M rating with extreme violence and rather creepy sexual implications.
3) Keep it in a very Japanese metrapolitan setting.

MARKETING: "I really like that but, hear me out, what if by gritty you mean ideal, I mean we do want to bum people out. Also, just I suggestion of course, the violence would be limited to a couple of fights here and there, a lower rating means a wider auidence, but that does mean we'll have to cut the sexual aspect to. But besides that you're all good...

...now, about the Japanese part..."

And so on of course.

 

[RUINER ACTUAL]

For those unfamiliar with the manga itself or the issues causing concern here I shall validate the following. The only way to make a GOOD movie based on this would be the following;

1) Gritty, down to earth actors.
2) An R/M rating with extreme violence and rather creepy sexual implications.
3) Keep it in a very Japanese metrapolitan setting.

I agree with this, I'm not an anime or manga fan by any means, but this fits and pays more respect to the animated movie (which I have seen and think is pretty cool) and the classic manga.

 

[Divine Miss Bee]

>.<

...really? zac "potatoface" efron?

i like my movies made with actors, not cardboard cutouts.

 

[BeastofShadow]

No opinion on Eferon but it would be intresting to see him in a violent late teen/adult oriented movie which brings me nicly to my second point. Pg-13? How on earth do they expect that to work? I get it that this is probably gonna end up being a quick cash grap but I'd prefer the Guyver movies bad to the Dragon Ball Evolutions bad.

 

[fKd]

heres an idea, use asian actors as the lead roles and set it in neo tokyo. rasicm, still alive and well in hollywood.

lol using that pussy as a hard ass cool mofo? i really dont believe thats a good idea. but hell imo they should scratch the whole thing.

 

[icyneesan]

PEOPLE!

Less Raging about Zack Efron, and MORE RAGING ABOUT HOLLYWOOD REMAKE OF AKIRA!!

 

[SovietSecrets]

Don't care about the actor, the fact that they are shooting for PG-13 on this makes me mad. Thats going to be a lot of content gone.

 

[Kurokami]

I think I speak for several people when I say 'NO!'

But a fairer argument would be, can he pull it off without being a complete twonk?

The movie itself can't be pulled off well imo, as for Zac Efron, he was actually quite good in '17 again', but as you said he's not really for the part.

 

[Nouw]

No no no. I can't take Zac Efron seriously after watching High-School musical! Get Kanye West instead! Cookie for reference. Also, why do we need a live-action Akira?

 

[Chrono212]

Massive, overwhelming no.

Why do you need a live action version of a classic?

 

[Kurokami]

Y'know, comparing pics of Zac Efron to Shotaro Kaneda, they do look very similar (minus Mr. Efron's blond hair). I can't blame the director/agent/whoever for offering him the job. I personally haven't seen Akira since I'm not that "Hardcore" into anime, but I'm not sure if Efron can pull it off. He has never really played an extremely down-to-earth character before, so...ah well, I guess time will tell all.

Zac Efron doesn't suit the setting because he's not Japanese, which is pretty essential for the main themes of the film.

 

[droppingpenny]

I was surprised to find out, but he is actually a good actor. He just has a small problem with typecasting.

I've never seen him in anything, therefore I have no opinion on the quality of his acting.

Well I have never seen his full range either but regardless of how good or bad he is, the movie is probably going to blow.

 

[Kurokami]

No no no. I can't take Zac Efron seriously after watching High-School musical! Get Kanye West instead! Cookie for reference. Also, why do we need a live-action Akira?

Watch 17 again, I think you'll be pleasantly surprised as I was, the movie's actually good. (hesitated for ages due to Zac)