Akira Adaptation Returns from the Grave

Steve Barton   |  

Aug 2, 2013

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Back in January of 2012 the infamous serial killer known as the Budget Monster trashed Warner Bros.’ proposed live action adaptation of Akira, leaving it beaten, bruised, and left for dead in a ditch. Today it’s begun to crawl its way out of that hole.

According to Variety, Jaume Collet-Serra is in discussions to return to the Akira director’s chair, signing on to helm Warner Bros. adaptation of the popular anime flick. The helmer left in early 2012 after production stalled.

WB acquired the potential tentpole project for a seven-figure sum from Japanese manga publisher Kodansha in 2008. Set in New Manhattan, the cyberpunk sci-fi epic follows the leader of a biker gang who must save his friend, discovered with potentially destructive psychokinetic abilities, from government medical experiments.

Appian Way’s Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran are producing with Mad Chance’s Andrew Lazar. Katsuhiro Otomo, who wrote and directed the 1988 Japanese anime film of the same name, will executive produce.

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