‘Akira’ live-action movie is alive again, helmed by ‘Daredevil’ showrunner Marco Ramirez
Thought the Akira live-action movie was dead, did you?! Well, I can’t blame you. The status of this fucking alive-dead-alive project changes with the seasons. So, just as summer is arriving here in the Northern Hemisphere, the status of Akira Live Action Fun Time has switched from “dead” to not just “alive”, but “alive” with current hot showrunner guy. This is dope.
“Akira” lives thanks to “Daredevil” writer and upcoming season two co-showrunner Marco Ramirez.
According to The Wrap, Warner Bros. has hired Ramirez — whose writing credits also include FX’s award-winning biker-gang-centric series “Sons of Anarchy” and Netflix’s award-winning original series “Orange is the New Black” — to adapt the popular Japanese manga and anime. Leonardo DiCaprio will produce via his company Appian Way alongside Andrew Lazar and his company Mad Chance. Drew Crevello and Nik Mavinkurve will oversee.
Plagued with a few starts and stops, the live-action American “Akira” adaptation almost came to fruition in 2012 with Jaume Collet-Serra to direct. Although no cast was set, Warner Bros. had been in talks with Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Ken Watanabe, and Helena Bonham Carter to star before pulling the plug on the project.
Written and illustrated by Katsuhiro Otomo, the original “Akira” manga took place in the post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo, featured heavy cyperpunk tones and centered on gang leader Shōtarō Kaneda and his friendship with rival gang member Tetsuo Shima, the latter of whom gains psychic powers and slowly loses his mental stability, ultimately shattering their friendship.