According to Variety, Warner Bros. will turn anime artist Katsuhiro Otomo’s six-volume graphic novel masterwork Akira into two live action feature films, the first of which is being fast tracked for release in summer 2009.
WB, which had the Akira rights several years ago, only to let them lapse and then recapture them in a spirited bidding battle, is planning a twin-bill that the filmmakers have described as “Blade Runner” meets City of God.
Akira finally to be live?
Written by:Matt Hanson
By all reports, the story has been “Americanised”, and is now set in New Manhattan, rather than New Tokyo. This rings major alarm bells for me. Still, I’m willing to give it a shot – I’ll wait and see, and try to approach it with an open mind. Whatever else they do with it, the bikes are bound to look cool!