Warner Bros. Starts Search for Akira's Leading Men

[circularlogic88]

I think Dragon Ball: Evolution is more than enough of a good reason as to why America should lay off of Japanese intellectual property.

 

[Always_Remain]

Soooooo, they are basically writing a fan fic at this point? I'm all for giving things chances and changing up formulas for established properties but why stray so far from the original?

It's like making a Mass Effect remake where you play as Commander Shepard but it takes place on earth before they find the prothean technology and Commander Shepard is no longer Commander Shepard. He is now Dr. Smith. His mission is no longer to save all life, it is now to FIND WHERE HE PUT HIS STETHOSCOPE!!! Or . . or making a live action Spirited Away film where Chihiro and Haku are in their 40's and instead of dealing with a strange trippy world, Chihiro is struggling with her debt and lack of money. Haku saves his with . . . money . . . powers.

Okay. Maybe I'm overreacting. I am overreacting but that doesn't stop the fact that they seem to be royally screwing up this project.

 

[Technicolor]

You know Hollywood, you did this before, with a classic anime called Fist of North Star. It was an epic story about a post apocalyptic Bruce Lee who had the power to make people fucking explode from the inside out.
Here's the Animated movie

Now how could you fuck up such a premise?
That's how. Make a adaptation that absolutely no one asked for, and what do you get? Absolute shit.

The Akira movie will likely be the same.

 

[KnifeyMcStaberson]

the people they need to cast for this movie are:
Robert Patterson
Robert Duvaulle
Sean Penn
Spiderman
Rhea Pearlman
Gary coleman
Stan Larual
Oliver Hardy

and of course

Tom Hanks

 

[SinisterGehe]

So basically they are removing the teenage life from the story, yeah it wasn't playing a important role in the story anyway. And Tokyo changed to New York - there is clear reason for this, they get to place ads and billboards...

Well one thing we can be sure of it. If they ditch teenagers off the movie, we can rest at ease knowing that Justin Beaver wont be having any changes at it. Or any of the other god awful teenage actors there are.

 

[Notthatbright]

I don't mind them making Akira. I just don't want them calling it "Akira" if the only thing Japanese in it is the paychecks to the manga writers.

 

[Saltyk]

I'm afraid to ask hat the script looks like. Probably a buddy comedy by now.

Ok, so it probably won't be that bad. It could be interesting, I would be more worried about how or if they try to translate it over for the average movie goer. I mean, it could be a classic if they do it right, or it could be one of those box office hits that the source materials fanbase hates.

Or that. Could be that.

 

[Verlander]

I seem to remember them releasing something saying that they wanted to keep the film at a PG-13 rating, so unless that was a load of rubbish, it doesn't matter who the hell acts in it: it will be shit

 

[ZombieGenesis]

I seem to remember them releasing something saying that they wanted to keep the film at a PG-13 rating, so unless that was a load of rubbish, it doesn't matter who the hell acts in it: it will be shit

... I died a little inside.
Kodanasha would be spinning in his grave (he's dead, right?)

 

[SwimmingRock]

Oh, hey. Does anybody else remember the love interest from the manga or anime version?

And that scene in the post-apocalyptic theme park where they talk about their problems and then promise to always stay together, but that all falls apart when she ends up being killed indirectly by Tetsuo when he can't control his powers?

And how Kaneda then swears vengeance, which culminates in an angry lecture to Tetsuo about how he cost him the love of his life, but killing him won't bring her back, so he should probably just move on to girl no.2 who hasn't really been all that important to the plot so far, but was always there to comfort Kaneda when things went wrong?

Me neither. But you can bet all the money you will ever see they're going to be in the fucking movie.

 

[Rivers Wells]

I seem to remember them releasing something saying that they wanted to keep the film at a PG-13 rating, so unless that was a load of rubbish, it doesn't matter who the hell acts in it: it will be shit

If this gets a PG - 13 rating (and lets face it, with this level of investment they are almost certainly going to give it this rating to try and earn more money back), then this movie is handicapped and severely so.

If you can't provide the gore, the disturbing physical mutations, or the bloody action, which almost completely pushes the plot forward in the original, then what are you going to replace it with?

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

The live-action version has gone through a few changes however, most notably transposing the action from Tokyo to New York.

Why would you do that?! Is that nessecary? Oh, wait, earthquake. Gee, now I feel like an asshole...

Actually, Japan-post a major disaster (with the added bonus of part of it being a nuclear plant meltdown) would probably aid the atmosphere somewhat, since that's the kind of Tokyo the movie Akira takes place in.


As for this, no thanks, I'll pass. My reasoning is DragonBall Evolution: a concept that's as patently easy to make into an enjoyable waste of a couple of hours with some good fighting and bad guys who chew the scenery and shoot each other with energy blasts. What did we get?

Some bullshit teenager romantic angst story backed by a barely seen Martial Arts tournament, and villain hamstrung by bad writing and the biff wasn't even that good.

If they're incapable of adapting DragonBall/Z to a movie, something as complex as Akira doesn't stand a chance.

 

[Spookimitsu]

Thus officially begins my Hollywood boycott. This? Suckerpunch? Toby Maguire wants to make a Robotech film? WTF why would you cater to an audience that thinks animation is all low brow? If they weren't going to appreciate the media in it's original format, the fuck 'em.
All the good movies are coming out of Korea and Mainland China anyways.

I remember that live action FotNS movie, it was rapage, but we watched it anyways, and gave them credit for trying. Now I wont even give them that.

Hollywood, stick to your butchering of Marvel/DC comics. If you want to make anything? Get Jesse James or West Coast Choppers to actually make the bikes from the movie, and go on tour around the continent with that and show the original animation to audiences at select theatres and drafthouses. Then you will get fan praise.

And Tokyo changed to New York - there is clear reason for this, they get to place ads and billboards...

The original animation was inundated with labels, billboards adverts etc, it was part of it's charm. For instance look at Kaneda's bike, splattered with manufacturing stickers.

 

[GonzoGamer]

So, is it still going to be called Akira?

'Cause what's the point in calling it Akira if it is devoid of anything Japanese? They might as well call it American Psychic.

Well, if they're going to change the main characters' names to Canada and Ted, they may as well change the name of the movie (and the catalyst himself) too.
Maybe they can call him Alfred.

I'll go see Alfred the movie if only for a laugh. It can't be as bad as the Fist of the North Star live action movie... can it?

 

[LightspeedJack]

Oh this depresses me. Can we at least not call it Akira? If it's not even in Japan why bother?

 

[Casual Shinji]

So, is it still going to be called Akira?

'Cause what's the point in calling it Akira if it is devoid of anything Japanese? They might as well call it American Psychic.

Well, if they're going to change the main characters' names to Canada and Ted, they may as well change the name of the movie (and the catalyst himself) too.
Maybe they can call him Alfred.

I'll go see Alfred the movie if only for a laugh. It can't be as bad as the Fist of the North Star live action movie... can it?

Nah, Alfred's an old man's name. It needs to be more young and kid oriented like, Justin.

"Set in post-apocalyptic New York. A non-smoking, PG-13 approved biker gang battles against the psychic exploits of their former member, and try to uncover the mystery behind ...JUSTIN! "

 

[GonzoGamer]

So, is it still going to be called Akira?

'Cause what's the point in calling it Akira if it is devoid of anything Japanese? They might as well call it American Psychic.

Well, if they're going to change the main characters' names to Canada and Ted, they may as well change the name of the movie (and the catalyst himself) too.
Maybe they can call him Alfred.

I'll go see Alfred the movie if only for a laugh. It can't be as bad as the Fist of the North Star live action movie... can it?

Nah, Alfred's an old man's name. It needs to be more young and kid oriented like, Justin.

"Set in post-apocalyptic New York. A non-smoking, PG-13 approved biker gang battles against the psychic exploits of their former member, and try to uncover the mystery behind ...JUSTIN! "

I was thinking as in Hitchcock but it is more of an old guys name. Is Justin a popular baby's name? If we're going to go that direction he can have a really scary name like Skyler or Cody.

If they're going to be PG-13 I guess they can't be doing dugs anymore. We get to see Canada popping Flinstones Vitamins.

 

[Xelien]

I am DEFINITELY the minority, but I'm fucking psyched about this. Most people, who I assume are "fans", just keep talking about how they are going to destroy the original but making it some safe family fun crap.(That parody video was hilarious, though) But really guys, you need to give America some slack, cause from what I see from my movie collection, the US has come up with some pretty messed up but awesome movies.

For me, it all hangs on who's directing the movie. If it's somebody like Michael Bay or Paul W. S. Anderson, then by all means, I will join the hate club. On the flip side, if you tell me that Darren Aronofsky was directing an Akira remake, I'd be really exciting(and possible scared lol)

I don't think fans should criticize remakes right away, if it's a great movie, it'll just bring exposure to the amazing original movie/manga and better cred for anime.

 

[Casual Shinji]

If they're going to be PG-13 I guess they can't be doing dugs anymore.

...Or denying the impregnation of their pudgy high school girl supplier.

Maybe we'll atleast be allowed to see Kaneda Canada attacking a henchmen by vommiting all over him... One can dream.

 

[Ubermetalhed]

Here's an idea how about you ditch all these crap western actors and get some Japanese talent instead. Instantly the movie will be better.

Westernizing Akira is completely retarded. I mean are they gonna use the same Japanese names? I think I'll cry if I see Robert Pattinson yelling 'TESTUO!!!'.