How many ups and downs has a film adaptation endured? Warner Bros might take the prize. Nearly 30 years ago—the anniversary is next year—the manga created by Katsuhiro Otomo has been caught in a web of indecision over who would direct its live-action adaptation. At NeoTeo we'll tell you how this saga started, who the key players were, and how the mystery might finally be solved.
A long and troubled production
Akira is one of the best manga ever created and one of the best anime films in history, thanks to its technical quality, its hallucinatory cyberpunk aesthetic, and its great and unsettling characters. It's no wonder many studios have wanted to bring it to the big screen again. Warner Bros finally secured the rights in 2002, and the project has been in development purgatory ever since. This saga—a nightmare for Warner—has everything: major directors, budget problems, studio indecision, and even Leonardo DiCaprio, who is still attached as a producer through his company Appian Way. Akira is planned as two parts, and the person in talks with Warner to direct is Taika Waititi.
Fifteen years have passed since Warner acquired the rights. Along the way, many directors have come and gone. In 2011, the first was Albert Hughes (From Hell, The Book of Eli), but he didn't last long because Warner wasn't convinced by his casting choices and budget. In 2012, the studio chose Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown, Non-Stop, Orphan), who left the project shortly after due to his busy schedule and the slow progress. Warner Bros had a strict budget and didn't want to exceed $90 million. There were even talks of a smaller production, but things weren't looking good. In 2013, Warner returned to Collet-Serra, who accepted, but then everything became a nebulous void between 2013 and 2015 with no news. In 2015, Collet-Serra publicly acknowledged Akira's stagnation and, without saying it outright, his departure from the project that had excited him so much.
In 2015, it was announced that the screenwriter, still without a director, would be Marco Ramirez (Sons of Anarchy, Daredevil). After that, there was no news until recently, when we saw a parade of possible candidates including Jordan Peele (Get Out), David F. Sandberg (Lights Out, Annabelle 2), and Daniel Espinosa (Safe House, Life, and soon Shazam for DC). But the one who has been pushing hardest in recent days is Taika Waititi, almost confirmed to direct.
Who is Taika Waititi?
Who is Taika Waititi? The New Zealand-born director, besides being the hot new name behind Thor: Ragnarok, has other interesting projects under his belt. At 42, he's been in the industry for a while, starting as an actor and then moving into directing and producing. In 2004, he made the short Two Cars, One Night, which he directed and starred in, earning him his first Oscar nomination for Best Short Film as well as several important awards. His notable films include Boy (2010), What We Do in the Shadows (2014), and Hunt for the Wilderpeople (2016). Next up is Thor: Ragnarok, and we'll see what happens in the coming days, as he's in full negotiations with Warner Bros.
Will Waititi finally direct the Akira adaptation? Will this saga finally come to an end? We don't know, and we wouldn't bet on it. Despite many outlets confirming it, we prefer to stay cautious. And there's another question: do we really need to adapt everything that's already well done? That answer is up to you.
Bonus Track: The Akira Project
The Akira Project: An impressive live-action fan trailer released in 2014.
