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{{Short description|Planned American
{{Use
{{Use
{{Infobox film
| name = Akira
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| alt =
| caption =
| director =
| screenplay = {{Plainlist|
* [[Taika Waititi]]
* [[Michael Golamco]]
* [[Charles Yu]]
}}
| based_on = {{based on|''[[Akira (manga)|Akira]]''|[[Katsuhiro Otomo]]}}
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}}
| starring =
| cinematography = <!-- MUST HAVE RELIABLE SOURCE. SEE WP:CITE. -->
| editing = <!-- MUST HAVE RELIABLE SOURCE. SEE WP:CITE. -->
| music = <!-- MUST HAVE RELIABLE SOURCE. SEE WP:CITE. -->
| studio = {{Plainlist|
* [[Warner Bros. Pictures]]
* [[Appian Way Productions]]
* [[Mad Chance Productions]]▼
▲* Mad Chance
}}
| distributor = Warner Bros. Pictures
| released = <!
| runtime = <!-- MUST HAVE RELIABLE SOURCE. SEE WP:CITE. -->
| country = United States
| language = English
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}}
'''''Akira''''' is a
[[Warner Bros. Pictures]], which
==Premise==
==Production==
===Earlier attempts===
In the 1990s, following the release of the [[Akira (1988 film)|1988 anime film]], [[Sony Pictures Entertainment]] obtained the rights to the ''[[Akira (manga)|Akira]]'' manga series with the intent of creating a live-action adaptation. This project was ultimately cancelled due to budgetary concerns.<ref name=":0">{{cite web |url=https://www.yahoo.com/news/the-long-and-tortured-history-of-the-live-action-akira-remake-091544753.html |title= Akira: The long and tortured history of the live-action remake |first=Ben |last=Falk |date= 21 March 2017 |accessdate= 25 April 2020 |work=[[Yahoo! News]]}}</ref>
In 2002, [[Warner Bros.]] acquired the rights to create a [[live-action]] [[remake]] of ''Akira'' as a seven-figure deal.<ref name="ign2002">Linder, Brian et al. (12 April 2002). [http://movies.ign.com/articles/357/357213p1.html "Akira Hollywood Remake!?"] ''IGN.com''. Retrieved 24 October 2006. {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100313174510/http://movies.ign.com/articles/357/357213p1.html |date=13 March 2010 }}</ref><ref name="deadline waititi">{{cite web |url=https://deadline.com/2017/09/akira-taika-waititi-director-thor-ragnarok-1202173164/ |title='Akira' Back? 'Thor: Ragnarok' Helmer Taika Waititi In Talks |first1=Anita |last1=Busch |first2=Mike |last2=Flemming |date=19 September 2017 |accessdate=25 September 2017 |work=[[Deadline Hollywood]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170925181309/https://deadline.com/2017/09/akira-taika-waititi-director-thor-ragnarok-1202173164/ |archive-date=25 September 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref> However, the project has undergone a [[Development hell|troubled development]],<ref>{{cite web |last=Gramuglia |first=Anthony |date=April 14, 2019 |title=Akira: The Long, Exhausting History of Hollywood's Live-Action Movie |url=https://www.cbr.com/akira-live-action-history/1/ |accessdate=August 19, 2019 |work=[[Comic Book Resources]]}}</ref> with at least five different directors and ten different writers attached over more than two decades of pre-production.<ref name="ign la 2017">{{cite web |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2017/04/06/akira-the-tortured-history-of-the-unmade-live-action-adaptation |title=Akira: The Tortured History of the Unmade Live-Action Adaptation |first=Christopher |last=Marc |date=6 April 2017 |accessdate=31 August 2017 |work=[[IGN]] |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170901073049/http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/04/06/akira-the-tortured-history-of-the-unmade-live-action-adaptation |archive-date=1 September 2017 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/akira-production-shut-down-budget-warner-bros-278729 |title='Akira' Production Offices Shut Down As Warner Bros. Scrutinizes Budget (Exclusive) |date=5 January 2012 |first=Borys |last=Kit |work=The Hollywood Reporter |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140316095559/http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/akira-production-shut-down-budget-warner-bros-278729 |archivedate=16 March 2014}}</ref> ''[[IGN]]'' concluded that long-term troubles with producing the live-action film primarily came from two areas. Firstly, there has been the fear of [[whitewashing in film|whitewashing]] or [[racebending]], casting American or other Western actors in lieu of Japanese ones, which has frequently come to light when such actors have been reported as under consideration for these roles. Secondly, ''Akira'' itself is not considered a story that is easy to relocate outside of Japan, due to the heavy influence on the original story of Japan's role in [[World War II]], including the [[Atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki|atomic bombings of Japan]], and their own [[Unit 731]].<ref name="ign la 2017" /> Attempts to make it more Westernized in order to draw American audiences, such as using the [[September 11 attacks]] as part of the establishing events instead of the atomic bombings, required fundamental changes to the story, which has subsequently drawn much criticism.<ref>{{cite web |last=Joest
Shortly after Warner Bros. acquired the rights, [[Stephen Norrington]] was slated to direct with [[James Robinson (writer)|James Robinson]] writing the screenplay and [[Dan Lin]] producing.<ref name="ign la 2017" /><ref>{{cite web |last=Linder |first=Brian |date=12 April 2002 |title=Akira Hollywood Remake!? |url=https://www.ign.com/articles/2002/04/12/akira-hollywood-remake |
Director [[
Robinson left the project in 2009, replaced as director by [[Hughes brothers|Albert Hughes]]. They used Whitta's script, with additional rewrites by [[Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby]], Albert Torres, and [[Steve Kloves]], with plans to aim for a [[PG-13]] rating for the two-part film.<ref name=":0" /><ref name="ign la 2017" /> In 2011, versions of the ''Akira'' script began to surface online. In February, selections from a older draft of the screenplay were sent to casting agencies and circulated online, providing glimpses at changes the adaptation was making: the setting of Neo-Manhattan rather than Neo Tokyo, Kaneda and Tetsuo as siblings rather than friends, and an increased focus on the gang's use and trafficking of drugs.<ref>{{cite web |last1=Newitz |first1=Annalee |title=Early script pages reveal what's happening with the American Akira |url=https://gizmodo.com/early-script-pages-reveal-whats-happening-with-the-amer-5772638 |website=Gizmodo |access-date=29 July 2024 |date=28 February 2011}}</ref> A full script, from a different draft than the casting sheets, leaked online later that year; though it was unclear precisely which screenwriter(s) had produced it, the scripts were criticized for deviating significantly from the source material: siblings Kaneda and Tetsuo were now in their early 30s and no longer bikers, Akira was a murderous evil child comparable to a horror villain, and Kei's supporting role was downplayed to a simpler love interest. The American setting also drew criticism for its heavy-handed references to the [[September 11 attacks]] and whitewashing in the casting calls (particularly with the renaming of Tetsuo to "Travis").<ref name="ign la 2017" /><ref>{{cite web |last1=Brockway |first1=Robert |title=The Actual Live-Action Akira Script: Worse Than You Think |url=https://www.cracked.com/blog/the-actual-live-action-akira-script-worse-than-you-think |website=Cracked.com |access-date=29 July 2024 |language=en |date=7 April 2011}}</ref> Shortly after these events, Hughes left the project, citing "amicable creative differences".<ref name="ign la 2017" />
In July 2011, [[Jaume Collet-Serra]] was hired to direct, with [[Steve Kloves]] providing revision work on a draft by screenwriter Albert Torres.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/warner-bros-taps-unknown-director-for-akira-1118039904/|title=Warner Bros. taps 'Unknown' director for 'Akira'|first=Jeff|last=Sneider|date=July 14, 2011}}</ref> By this point, the budget had been drastically reduced to a third of its initial budget.<ref name=":0" /> The film was greenlit in October 2011, with filming eyed to begin by February or March 2012.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/warners-greenlights-akira-hedlund-front-runner-1118044771/|title=Warners greenlights 'Akira'; Hedlund front-runner|first=Justin|last=Kroll|date=October 20, 2011}}</ref> In January 2012, as production was gearing up to begin in [[Vancouver]], Warner Bros. halted production, citing issues with casting, the script and the budget.<ref>
During this interim period, Warner Bros. In a June 2017 interview, Otomo said that he was "basically done with ''Akira''" as a manga, and that "if someone wants to do something new with ''Akira'' then I am mostly okay with that", on the condition that he be allowed to review and approve of any approach a writer might take with a live-action adaptation.<ref>{{cite web |last=Anderson |first=Kyle |date=1 June 2017 |title=Akira creator says he must approve any live-action film |url=https://nerdist.com/akira-creator-katsuhiro-otomo-live-action/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180131024103/https://nerdist.com/akira-creator-katsuhiro-otomo-live-action/ |archive-date=31 January 2018 |accessdate=30 January 2018 |work=[[The Nerdist]]}}</ref>
===Development===
In September 2017, it was announced that director [[Taika Waititi]] was in talks to direct.<ref name="deadline waititi" /> He
As of late 2023, Waititi was focused on production of [[Klara and the Sun (film)|''Klara and the Sun'']] but acknowledged that ''Akira'' was still in his "backlog" of projects. [[Charles Yu]] is now attached as writer.<ref name=":2" />
===Casting===
Concept art for Robinson's 2008 production featured [[Chris Evans (actor)|Chris Evans]] as Kaneda against [[Joseph Gordon-Levitt]] as Travis (Tetsuo), though it is unclear if either actor was actually attached to the project.<ref name=":0" />
In 2011, the casting process began in earnest. Actors considered for Kaneda included [[James Franco]], [[Robert Pattinson]], and [[Keanu Reeves]];<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/keanu-reeves-circling-warner-bros-185872/|title=Keanu Reeves Circling Warner Bros.' Akira (Exclusive)|first=Borys|last=Kit|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=May 6, 2011}}</ref> [[Garrett Hedlund]] emerged as the frontrunner for the role and began negotiations in November.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://variety.com/2011/film/news/garrett-hedlund-in-talks-for-warners-akira-1118045537/|title=Garrett Hedlund in talks for Warners' 'Akira'|first=Justin|last=Kroll|date=November 3, 2011}}</ref> Tetsuo was not cast before the production halted; [[Paul Dano]], [[Alden Ehrenreich]], and [[Toby Kebbell]] were among those [[screen test]]ed.<ref name="THR tests">{{cite web |last1=Kit |first1=Borys |title=Casting Couch: Hot Actors Testing for Key ‘Akira’ Role |url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/akira-movie-kristen-stewart-263801/ |website=The Hollywood Reporter |date=18 November 2011}}</ref> [[Kristen Stewart]] was offered the role of Ky Reed (Kei) shortly after Hedlund was cast.<ref name="THR tests"/><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-news/breaking-dawn-kristen-stewart-akira-261956/|title=Kristen Stewart Has an Offer to Star in 'Akira,' Will She Accept?|first=Borys|last=Kit|website=[[The Hollywood Reporter]] |date=November 15, 2011}}</ref> [[Gary Oldman]] was offered the role of the Colonel<ref name="go-hbc">{{Cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/518200/gary-oldman-helena-bonham-carter-akira-offers/|title=Helena Bonham Carter And Gary Oldman Could Be In 'Akira'|first=Angie|last=Han|date=October 24, 2011|website=SlashFilm}}</ref> but passed on the project, the role was then offered to [[Ken Watanabe]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.slashfilm.com/518659/ken-watanabe-gary-oldman-akira/|title=Gary Oldman Won't Be In 'Akira', Ken Watanabe Offered Colonel Role Instead|first=Angie|last=Han|date=November 23, 2011|website=SlashFilm}}</ref> [[Helena Bonham Carter]] <ref name="go-hbc"/> and [[Keira Knightley]]<ref>{{cite web |last1=Han |first1=Angie |title=Casting Bits: Keira Knightley Approached For 'Akira', Gary Oldman Wanted For 'Arthur & Lancelot', Holly Hunter And Elisabeth Moss In Jane Campion Miniseries |url=https://www.slashfilm.com/518394/casting-bits-gary-oldman-wanted-arthur-lancelot-keira-knightley-approached-akira/ |website=SlashFilm |date=5 November 2011}}</ref> were approached for unspecified roles.
For his production, Waititi has asserted an intention to cast Asian-American teenagers to play the leads to avoid concerns over whitewashing, and preferred lesser-known actors for the roles.<ref name=":1" />
==References==
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{{Authority control}}
{{Portal bar|United States|Film
[[Category:Cancelled films]]
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[[Category:Motorcycling films]]
[[Category:American post-apocalyptic films]]
[[Category:Akira (franchise)]]
[[Category:Japan in non-Japanese culture]]
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