Writer/director Taika Waititi confirms he is still working to make a live-action adaptation of the iconic 1988 anime movie Akira. Originally based on Katsuhiro Otomo's 1982 manga of the same name, the story is set in a dystopian version of 2019 and centers on Shōtarō Kaneda, the leader of a biker gang whose childhood friend acquires dangerous telekinetic abilities after a motorcycle accident and sends the metropolis of Neo-Tokyo into chaos and rebellion. Otomo directed and penned the script with Izo Hashimoto for the film, which became the most expensive anime film of the time with a production budget of ¥700 million or $5.5 million, only to later be surpassed by Kiki's Delivery Service from Studio Ghibli.
The film received rave reviews from critics upon its release and has frequently been cited as one of the greatest anime and sci-fi films ever made and as a key influence on the cyberpunk genre and adult animation. Warner Bros. acquired the rights to Akira in 2002 and have struggled to get a live-action adaptation off the ground in the years since, with a variety of writers and directors attached to the project including Blade's Stephen Norrington, The Book of Eli's Hughes brothers and Jungle Cruise's Jaume Collet-Serra, amongst others. Waititi officially signed on to direct an adaptation in 2017 but has similarly seen his effort run into multiple speed bumps.
With his appearance in Free Guy right around the corner, Waititi spoke with Wired to discuss his full dancing card. One of the projects discussed included his long-gestating live-action adaptation of Akira, which the filmmaker confirms he is still attempting to get off the ground. Though he didn't offer any specifics on a timetable or what is holding the project back at this point, Waititi assured he doesn't "wanna give up" on the film.
Waititi's decision to step away from Akira to focus on Thor: Love and Thunder came as a surprise to some and a disappointment to many who were looking forward to see the filmmaker's take on the iconic manga. Given the train that is the Marvel Cinematic Universe doesn't stop rolling and Thor: Ragnarok proved to be a smash hit for the Chris Hemsworth-led franchise and Waititi himself, it's understandable that Marvel Studios would have wanted to capitalize on that success with a Waititi-helmed follow-up as soon as possible. With the Oscar winner having signed on to multiple projects after the anime adaptation was put on indefinite hold, his effort certainly looked to be another to die in development hell.
However, Waititi's ongoing commitment to bringing Akira to life on the big screen in live-action does prove promising for the project. Whereas many before him have bowed out over creative differences with the studio and Otomo, the filmmaker seems to feel confident about his vision and Warner Bros. lack of official cancellation of its development shows their faith in Waititi's approach and desire to make it at some point in the near future. Only time will tell whether Waititi will be the one to finally get a live-action Akira off the ground for the studio.
Source: Wired
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