Live-Action ‘Akira' Leaves Warner Bros. After Decades In Production Hell
'Akira' is now up for grabs as to its live-action rights.
After decades of multiple people trying to get a live-action Akira off the ground, the rights have reverted back to Kodansha.
I mean, I started covering this live-action adaptation back in 2015, and almost every year after that, new people were attached to write or direct the movie.
During that time, I even managed to interview Katsuhiro Otomo, who wrote the original manga and directed the seminal 1988 anime adaptation.
In that interview, Otomo revealed that he had final sign-off on the live-action scenario. So if Otomo didn't like the scenario, it meant the movie didn't get made.
My guess is that Otomo has blocked every live-action scenario to date, and that's why Warner Bros. has let the live-action rights revert back to Kodansha.
It's also likely that whoever takes the option on the live-action rights to Akira will still have to get past Otomo on its scenario.
Honestly, if that's the case, then as long as Otomo is around, I doubt we will ever see a live-action adaptation.
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To be honest, I am entirely fine with that. I mean, people have been joking about how terrible an American film of Akira would be since 2008.
Hollywood still doesn't really get manga and anime, let alone video games. Akira is one of those cultural heirlooms that should be treated with the respect it deserves, and Hollywood's never been big on giving any kind of respect to Japanese creative talent.
In any case, Akira's live-action rights are now back with Kodansha, and it will be interesting to see who will pick it up next, as no doubt Otomo will be just as strict with them as he has been with everyone else.
In the meantime, feel free to check out my Blu-ray review of the anime, which you should absolutely watch if you haven't done so already.
Follow me on X, Facebook and YouTube. I also manage Mecha Damashii and am currently featured in the Giant Robots exhibition currently touring Japan.
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