Well, it’s not over yet. Warner Brothers has tapped Jaume Collet-Serra (“Unknown”) to direct the “Akira” live-action movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Not only is Serra now signed on to direct, the budget for the film has dropped tremendously. Right now, the budget is somewhere around the middling budget of the remake of “Clash of the Titans.” Also, the most recent draft of the screenplay has been written by “Harry Potter” screenwriter Steve Kloves.
The story behind Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga “Akira”–a cyber-punkish take on a post-nuclear attack Tokyo and the psychic mutations that happen as a result–is almost as tough to follow as the various changes there have been in writers, directors, and even potential castmembers. Originally, Albert Hughes was set to direct and a controversial all-white shortlist was being discussed by the studio instead of hiring actual Japanese actors. Keanu Reeves had originally signed on to play Kaneda, but later dropped out.
The new director and budget are now two new ripples in the story, but the budget could severely affect how the movie will turn out. To make a film like “Akira” as epic and involved as the original manga series, there needs to be enough money to do it right. And if the effects in “Clash of the Titans” is the result of a low budget, then there’s no way “Akira” is going to look any better.
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