Oh.....dear....god.......Tetsuo !!! *LIVE ACTION AKIRA*

V · Postby V » Wed Feb 20, 2008 6:56 pm

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2008-02-20/warner-leonardo-dicaprio-to-produce-akira-live-action

Warner Bros. is going to make a live-action movie adaptation of Akira, split across two movies (the anime movie was a condensation/really just adaptation of the first half of the manga)

Produced by Appian Way, Leonardo DeCaprio's production company.

The problem is that they're going to westernize it. How Westernized? Two words: "New Manhattan" instead of "Neo-Tokyo". Yup, you heard me.

The Hollywood Reporter and Variety entertainment trade periodicals both report that Warner Brothers and Appian Way, the production company of actor Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Aviator), will adapt Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira manga into two live-action films. Each film will cover three volumes of the renowned science-fiction manga about a governmental genetic project and a teenager's attempt to save a fellow biker gang member.

The manga set in Neo-Tokyo, a city rebuilt after being destroyed in a mysterious explosion. Otomo directed his own animated film adaptation that premiered on July 16, 1988 — the same day that the story has the fictional Tokyo being destroyed. The first live-action film is scheduled for release in the summer of 2009 and will move the story's setting to "'New Manhattan,' a city rebuilt after being destroyed 31 years ago."

Ireland's Ruairi Robinson will be making his feature directorial debut with this project, and Gary Whitta (Book of Eli) is writing a script. Warner Brother once had the film rights for Akira before, but Executive Vice-President Greg Silverman (300, Batman Begins) had to re-acquire them from Kodansha after pitched bidding that reached seven figures. Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar, DiCaprio, and Appian Way's Jennifer Davisson will produce. No announcement has been made regarding the cast.

How does this bode for prospective future Live Action Eva movies? If they're a hit, they might be more receptive. On the other hand, they sound reprehensibly westernized.

Postby **Gendo'sPapa** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 6:59 pm

Well....I'm sure the powers that be will argue whether this is supposed to be in the Live Action Eva board or what not but it seems official.

2009 will release the first in a duo of AKIRA Live Action films.

http://chud.com/articles/articles/13730/1/TETSUUUUUUUUUUUUO-OOOOOOOOOOO--TO-BE-CONTINUED/Page1.html

Notice its going to be set in New MANHATTAN not New Tokyo (any hopes of a Tokyo-3 in LAME instead of New York-3 are retarded).

So with the upcoming adaptations inuding SPEED RACER, DRAGONBALL, and now AKIRA as the big expensive Hollywod ones whats next folks?

Anime Live Action Adaptations- the new creatively bankrupt trend to follow in the wakes of ASian Horror Remakes.

I wonder if Roy Lee is involved in these productions?

Postby **UrsusArctos** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 7:00 pm

I agree. The "Manhattan destroyed by Giant Monster/Catastrophe/Roland Emmerich" trope is sickening. Westernization is bound to kill the movie anyway.

NAveryW · Postby **NAveryW** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 7:34 pm

The following American-produced movies based on anime have all now been announced (in alphabetical order):

-Akira
-Astro Boy
-Battle Angel
-Dragon Ball Z
-Ikki Tousen
-Evangelion
-Monster
-Voltron

Am I forgetting any? (I put Evangelion on the list because I'm listing anime-based movies that have been ANNOUNCED. Also, the Astro Boy film will be CGI.)

Gendo'sPapa wrote:Well....I'm sure the powers that be will argue whether this is supposed to be in the Live Action Eva board or what not but it seems official.

Erm, that board's been gone for a while now...

V · Postby V » Wed Feb 20, 2008 7:37 pm

NAveryW wrote:
Gendo'sPapa wrote:Well....I'm sure the powers that be will argue whether this is supposed to be in the Live Action Eva board or what not but it seems official.
Erm, that board's been gone for a while now...

There is still a "combination Live Action/other spinoffs" board, until more Live Action news comes....or until we start fabricating LAEM news of our own...

Postby **Sachi** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 7:49 pm

Lol, LADBZ.

BrikHaus · Postby **BrikHaus** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:14 pm

Leo, please Westernize the hell out of Akira. Everyone knows that changing the location from Tokyo to Manhattan, and having actors speak English instead of Japanese, completely changes the entire plot, and meaning behind the story.

V · Postby V » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:16 pm

Er, Brikhaus, I do believe quite a bit of the plot was commentary on Japan's post-World War II reconstruction (that is, post-postwar; when the Colonel says that they've finished "Reconstruction" and now society is forgetting itself again with the biker gangs and such, a la 80's Japan).

NAveryW · Postby **NAveryW** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:20 pm

I take it Brik didn't like Akira? Wait, did you see the Manga Entertainment version or the 4Kids version?

BrikHaus · Postby **BrikHaus** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 8:37 pm

Neither, I saw the version released by Pioneer.
I loved Akira, great movie.

Postby **BobBQ** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:11 pm

I predict lame and fail.

NAveryW · Postby **NAveryW** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:32 pm

BobBQ wrote:lame

LAAM, actually.

honsou · Postby **honsou** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 9:33 pm

Eh normally i would say this is going to be horrible but isn't Akira highly influenced by western comics. Also it seems to have been picked up by seemingly competent people, i guess its one of those things that we will just have to see.

Shiro · Postby **Shiro** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:29 pm

First reaction: :gendo_kimura:

:eyepop:

Second reaction, to quote SSD: Head, meet desk. :headdesk:

Then: http://objection.mrdictionary.net/go.php?n=2419106

Then: :lol:

Seriously though, these guys are idiots. Although, I wonder why this hasn't been tried before. Anyway, we'll wait and see. It'll probably be horrifyingly bad, but there's a SMALL chance, it can work out and be good, and moreso than DBZ or Eva.

V · Postby V » Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:33 pm

hmmm in all fairness a criticism that the creators of Eva made of Akira IS that anime at the time, like Akira, was just based on western comics....

...okay its really not THAT bad and the concept is fairly easy to move, but I still feel uneasy

Eva Yojimbo · Postby **Eva Yojimbo** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:38 pm

Shiro wrote:First reaction: :eyepop:

Second reaction, to quote SSD: Head, meet desk.

Then: http://objection.mrdictionary.net/go.php?n=2419106

Then:

Seriously though, these guys are idiots. Although, I wonder why this hasn't been tried before. Anyway, we'll wait and see. It'll probably be horrifyingly bad, but there's a SMALL chance, it can work out and be good, and moreso than DBZ or Eva.

Ditto for me.

Shiro · Postby **Shiro** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:53 pm

It's not that Akira isn't something that can be DONE Live-Action, as a matter of fact, if I HAD to pick one (Emphasis on HAD TO, I'd never pick one otherwise) incredibly important anime to remake, it would be Akira. Nothing in it is too out-there, aside from blob-Tetsuo at the end. But it's just the fact that Akira can't ever be done like it was in animation. It just won't be as impacting or shocking, and a lot of it can't be done, such as the nudity. It will probably be even rolled back to PG 13. It has the potential to be a great Hollywood movie. But it won't be Akira. Not at all. Just a movie that may (or may not, if they're Westernizing) carry the same name and basic plot. Think of it as one of those movies that steals the basic plot of a movie, then changes its name and the characters' names.

THE Hal E. Burton 9000 · Postby **THE Hal E. Burton 9000** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 10:59 pm

I guess it's my lucky day [/sarcasm] :explode:

and Leo of ALL PEOPLE!?

BrikHaus · Postby **BrikHaus** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:02 pm

At least it's not Michael Bay.... or Uwe Boll.... or Paul W.S. Anderson....

chee · Postby **chee** » Wed Feb 20, 2008 11:04 pm

I really hope this doesn't get off the ground.

Oh.....dear....god.......Tetsuo !!! LIVE ACTION AKIRA

Oh.....dear....god.......Tetsuo !!! LIVE ACTION AKIRA

AKIRA Live Action and the Hollywood Anime Onslaught

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