Eight names have emerged as potential candidates for the two male lead roles in the live-action Hollywood adaptation of the six-volume manga tale "Akira" says Deadline.
Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield and James McAvoy are up for the role of Tetsuo, while Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake and Joaquin Phoenix are all up for Kaneda. All eight actors have been given a copy of the script.
The story is set in a neon-lit futuristic post-nuclear war "New Manhattan" (the original was set in 'New Tokyo' in 2019). Kaneda is a bike gang leader whose close friend Tetsuo gets involved in a secret government project known as Akira. Trying to save him, Kaneda runs into anti-government activists, corrupt politicians, irresponsible scientists and a despotic military leader. The confrontation sparks off Tetsuo's supernatural power leading to not only death but the uncovering of the truth about Akira that the government tried to bury three decades before
The story was previously adapted into a Akira anime film which is considered a classic of the genre.
This version will stick close to the original material but spread the story across two films.
Albert Hughes (The Book of Eli) will call action. Steve Kloves (The Amazing Spider-Man) recently did a re-write for an August start
Andrew Lazar, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran are producing.
This is gonna be an interesting casting process to watch--I think it might be better to go unknown for one of the two leads--Just a hunch...
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