It's a sad day in the world of Anime.

[HunterKiller_]

Anime classic "Akira" is getting the live-action big screen treatment courtesy of Leonardo DiCaprio and Warner Bros.

Source (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/news/e3i1afdf3970176b315c08be93972a6ee89)
:bs:

[paperX]

somehow...."Neo Manhattan" just sounds stupid to me :\

[Farvus]

I wonder why are they doing this (also with other animations). It feels like they make live action movie beacause they like the idea but they can't accept that it's hand drawn. Every animation has to be translated to more "serious" medium to make it more digestible for people.
Same goes for comics. I would rather some cool animated movies based on american comic books rather than live-action movies.

[timpaatkins]

I'm looking forwards to it. You guys still have your precious Anime untouched (I'm being facetious) , so whats the big deal? Its a great story, and I don't see the problem in it being re-envisioned as a live action movie, especially when tech is up to snuff to do it justice and having it in two parts. And please dont give me "lacking in creativity and original ideas" as every story ever is a rehash of something or other. (Just look at the video game industry OR illustration/conceptart for that matter) I wouldn't even consider it a remake, since the transition from anime to live action is quite a leap. And DiCaprio is an excellent actor, I'm sure he can do whatever role he does justice, and Id love to see him a Tetsuo. (hes getting on a bit now though) They could get the equivalent of cast from Kids or something, that could be cool.

[Silverwing]

There is a difference between rehashing bits of other stories to make a new story and just downright using the same story.

My opinion is meh...I hate Leonardo Di Craprio so I'm just annoyed that they are using him.

[Digital_Blacksmith]

Well, the thing is, they are going to do it no matter how much you bitch and moan about it, so just accept it. And you know your probably going to watch it anyways, just to see "how horrible" they made it. And as Tim said, you have the anime untouched.

[Hyskoa]

*cracks knuckles* People are going to die.

[Digital_Blacksmith]

Aye, are you actually going to go to hollywood to stop the production of this?

[Dizon]

http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2008/02/21/movie-news-the-boys-and-akira-gns-potentially-to-sell-many-copies/

According to that, Otomo is exec producer while Leo is one of the producers. I'm not sure if Leo is going to act in this one. I hope not...

[Digital_Blacksmith]

Leo would be best if he had a side role in this, since the main characters were all teenagers. But its good to see the main creator of Akira to be helping out massively.

[HunterKiller_]

I wouldn't even consider it a remake

Exactly.
If they had given it another namesake, I don't think anybody would care, but the fact that they're using the same name, it's just inviting people to compare it to the original work, which I doubt it will live up to.

[Digital_Blacksmith]

Exactly.
If they had given it another namesake, I don't think anybody would care, but the fact that they're using the same name, it's just inviting people to compare it to the original work, which I doubt it will live up to.

Who knows, it might be. Has anyone even seen any shots of it yet? Or even know whos starring in it? Thats how it was when the superhero movies came out, and yet, everyone ran to it, and ending up loving it. Remember the Batman movie with Michael Keaton? Noone thought he would make a decent Bruce Wayne, until they saw the movie, and now he is known as one of the best actors to play him. So dont act like its the worst thing to ever happen, or will even suck without knowing anything about it other then its a live action version of the anime.

[light]

They're using the title to profit off of a popular franchise, if you don't like it don't go see it ? ??

[seba_boi]

I'm a sucker for "remakes" and I might see this one [flop]...

[Digital_Blacksmith]

They're using the title to profit off of a popular franchise, if you don't like it don't go see it ? ??

The thing is, is its not just using the title to profit. The guy who did the original Akira is helping out with this version. Im just getting tired of people bitching about a movie before knowing anything about it.

[AlexC]

ughhhhh
it won't work live action
I swear

[archipelago]

I'm looking forwards to it. You guys still have your precious Anime untouched (I'm being facetious) , so whats the big deal? Its a great story, and I don't see the problem in it being re-envisioned as a live action movie, especially when tech is up to snuff to do it justice and having it in two parts. And please dont give me "lacking in creativity and original ideas" as every story ever is a rehash of something or other. (Just look at the video game industry OR illustration/conceptart for that matter) I wouldn't even consider it a remake, since the transition from anime to live action is quite a leap. And DiCaprio is an excellent actor, I'm sure he can do whatever role he does justice, and Id love to see him a Tetsuo. (hes getting on a bit now though) They could get the equivalent of cast from Kids or something, that could be cool.
QFT!!

[Icelandic Norm]

I'll withhold judgement on this until I see it.

I've never been one to get too wrapped up in the hype when it comes to live action adaptations of animated features.

[•Lindsay•]

Why do they have to westernize it? Neo-Manhattan? Akira is a dark film, if they make it into an American movie they will probably add some touchy feely thing that doesn't belong there. They should at least keep the motorcycle from the anime. It would be difficult to improve on that design.

It's silly how many movies are considered live action these days even if they are half cg animated.

[kingshaj]

if its decent..it will be the first anime adaptation that hasn't flopped hilariously

guyver, fist of the north star? oye

Bootleg this one my babies.





will anyone ever make a new movie?...i mean a new one
meanwhile TRANSFORMERS 2 and another jurasic park?-sigh
indiana jones 4 rambo...rocky.... speed racer...every feel good magical children's harry potter-esque series.
night rider? ...smurfs?....dbz, evangelion....another new new hulk....
do people still write?


permanent writer's strike?

[flyk]

I am not sure how to feel.....

They tried to re-create aeon-flux, and, well......

......hm....
I dont' think they succeeded in capturing the original feeling the animated series had...at least, that is how I felt.

Anyways, I just don't see the need to re-make Akira- it is definitely one of the classics of anime, and, more importantly, well-orchestrated animation masterpiece.

I won't make a final say on how I feel about it until I see it, if I am brave enough to see it, but to take something like Akira, or any other classic animated film to recreate a feeling that is perfectly expressed in the original activates a warning signal that screams lack of originality...or even, re-introducing a piece of art that has been forgotten by the uninformed average american. I fear that if this rumor is true, Warner Bros will end up watering down, perhaps even destroy, the feeling Akira had from it's original creator.

Though, if Warner Brothers succeed in recreating Akira, then, I will applaud them.

I am just, perhaps, more afraid then anything else, and weary, that yet another classic, like Aeon Flux, will be burdened by an attempted re-creation. I do hope for the best....

[robogabo]

I dunno if it´s a sad thing
I would be sad if tomino died or toriyama or miyasaki

I think Otomo just wants to appeal to western
audiences, i thought about that when i saw steamboy
it was visually outstanding but it lacked what akira
has and is depth and great story

if they change the story fine, that way we wont compare it
to the anime and if they follow it exactly
fine, they will notice that there´s no way you gonna
convey the same things in live action without the
talent of skillful animators and the audiences filling the gaps

i would look forward to see them approach all those
tetsuo scenes and the stadium scene too, they better
hire the best modelers and animators cause no
live actor is gonna be able to convey the badass movements with wires ,
its gonna look stupid

that is my 2cents

[macks03]

This wont get past pre-production, calling it now.

p.s. The picture in the article is from rival schools.(capcom fightin' game) :p

[Duq]

Akira has never been a mainstream movie, the original movie is to extreme on a lot of points to make it appealing to mainstream.

Now if the production team would get complete control and a very big budget then yeah it could be awesome. However it doesnt work like that in real life, the bigger the budget the more insurance Warner Bros wants that they get their money back. So alot of the things that make Akira Akira will be cut, so they earn back the money. They already replaced Neo Tokyo with something that has more appeal to a broader audience.

Also, this wouldnt be the first anime that gets remade in a movie. Check out Casshern. It wasnt a huge succes, but a nice movie imo. ( if you are going to see it, dont see the english version, its missing about 30 minutes of dialogue)
kk9fGI90qdM

[paperX]

now this might just be my opinion but i think having otomo simply as one of the producers just screams "shit we're gonna change so much of the story and tone it down so much that the original fans are all gonna hate our guts, how do we keep them deluded for as long as possible? oh yeah, lets make Otomo an "Producer", not like we'd actually stick to his vision but this should be enough to sucker some of the fans in"

seriously though, what they should have done is gotten otomo to do a FULL version based on the manga, not this "Neo-Manhattan" crap :\

I'd wish man top animation studios would join together and try to push the limits of animation like Akira did 20 years ago...:(

PS: The film is set in a New Manhattan, a city rebuilt by Japanese money after being destroyed 31 years ago. <---- the more I read this the less sense it makes to me :^^;:

[Ian Mack]

http://jalopnik.com/assets/images/gallery/12/2008/02/medium_2281728343_edf9dd4684_o.jpg

If it brings the Akira Bike into the mainstream and I someday get to buy it then I'm happy.

The first movie didn't do the story justice. If there is any truth to the statement that this will be a two-part movie following the manga more closely than who knows, we could be looking at a good movie. Alot of the stuff that happens in the movie isn't that more gross than things we see on screen now. ie.Saw. Hill have eyes, 30 Days of Night, etc.

As for the city? Who gives a fuck. A city is a city. You think Manhattan is going to look that different than Tokyo?

I'm excited for the possibility of a good movie.

[kingshaj]

i dont think that the actual bike, (not that you said it was)
i believe thats a fan made bike going around the net

if thats the film version im laughing already

and the only way leonardo can be on screen in this film is if he plays one of the mutant old-midget-kids...his head composited digitally on a child's body

ill wait for the "RE-imagining" of the live action version

AKIRA BEGINS:
The electric boogaloo




and american audiences can accept a future world with mutant super-psychics ,,,,but cant grasp the concept of tokyo?

[Moai]

i would look forward to see them approach all those
tetsuo scenes and the stadium scene too,

Yeah, I was just thinking today that if the final stadium scene will be anything like the anime, it's gonna be pretty gruesome.

[m@.]

well it kinda makes sense that the movie takes place in New York, if it's an american movie. I prefer that to people speaking english in Neo-Tokyo.
But well, in Neo-Tokyo with japanese actors would have been the best :P