Live-Action Akira to be Helmed by the Hughes Brothers?
Steve Barton
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Two years after it acquired the rights to influential manga Akira, Warner Bros. is courting the Hughes Brothers (twins Allen and Albert) to direct a live-action version of the tale. A script has already been written by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby, and Gary Whitta (the latter of whom penned the brothers’ most recent outing, The Book of Eli).
Per Variety this latest version of Katsuhiro Otomo’s graphic novel will be set in New Manhattan, a metropolis that was rebuilt after being destroyed 31 years earlier. Akira was first adapted as a feature in 1988 as an animated film which Otomo directed.
For those unfamiliar with the tale, here’s a synopsis from Amazon of Volume 1:
Welcome to Neo-Tokyo, built on the ashes of a Tokyo annihilated by a blast of unknown origin that triggered World War III. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, making him a target for a shadowy agency that will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like the one that leveled Tokyo. At the core of the agency’s motivation is a raw, all-consuming fear of an unthinkable, monstrous power known only as Akira.
Katsuhiro Otomo’s stunning science fiction masterpiece is considered by many to be the finest work of graphic fiction ever produced, and Otomo’s brilliant animated film version is regarded worldwide as a classic.
Those are some pretty big shoes to fill, but taking into account the success of Eli (which topped $84 million in less than a month), the Hughes brothers look to be up to the task. Keep it here for more as it comes!
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