Warner Bros. has been developing a live-action adaptation of the popular manga and anime ‘Akira’ since 2011. Throughout the process, setbacks have included script issues, an extremely high budget, and fan outcries over the whitewashing of characters. Last year, we saw a bit of movement last year when ‘Orphan’ and ‘House of Wax’ filmmaker Jaume Collet-Serra and ‘Edge of Tomorrow’ scribe Dante Harper were brought onto the project. However, there hasn’t been much discussion about the film since then. Now, the director discusses the progress that has been made on the movie. Spoiler alert: There hasn’t been much.
While speaking to Collider about his latest film ‘Run All Night’, Collet-Serra revealed that there has been no movement on ‘Akira’ since he began actively working on it. At one point he said that the long-gestating film would potentially be his next on his schedule, but instead he moved on to ‘Non-Stop’ and ‘Run All Night’. So when asked straight up if any progress has been made on ‘Akira’ or whether there’s any hope that we’ll see it any time soon, here’s what he said:
“No, no. There’s nothing. It’s a Warner Bros. question.”
Though he doesn’t come straight out and say it, it certainly sounds like ‘Akira’ is in development limbo once again. For all we know, it could even be completely dead. The report also notes that Collet-Serra definitely wasn’t as enthusiastic as he once was when the topic came up, so that may be another indicator as to the fate of this film.
Are you disappointed to hear that there’s nothing happening with ‘Akira’ right now? Do you hope that Warner Bros. gets their act together with this project soon? Or would you be fine without a live-action adaptation and just watch the original anime again? Sound off in the comment section.
