The original story is set in a neon-lit futuristic post-nuclear war "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 new film has had numerous setbacks as it sat in development over the past few years, mostly due to concerns over the size able budget a project like this warrants . At last report, WB wanted it around or below the $90 million mark.
While the studio did consider other filmmakers, they opted to wait since they love Collet-Serra's vision for the project. The director has also reportedly found both time in his schedule, and a new approach that should fit into the studio's budget request.
This version is expected to stick close to the original manga and could spread the story across several films.
Andrew Lazar, Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran are still set to produce. It's unknown if actor Garrett Hedlund is still attached to star .
Collet-Serra says that it's taking time because they are taking their time with it and want to be as respectful of the source material as possible:
"Otomo adapted his own work from a manga into an anime and both things are completely different and genius. The only way to do a live version of "Akira" is to take the spirit and adapt it. It will be as different as the anime was from the manga. I think you cannot make a movie about "Akira" and hope that everyone understands it. Like everything else, you have to make three or four movies in one where there's the essence somewhere. If you're a fan, you already know what it's about and you'll see it's part of the same world, but trying to oversimplify it would be a mistake. I think if at some point a character tries to explain it to the audience at the end of the second act, that's a problem. It's more like an existential opera. It's something that can only be explained in the manga, and even in the anime it's hard to follow."
Collet-Serra was then asked what the new live-action version will offer that the original anime pic doesn't:
"I hope that I can bring strong characters. In the original source material, I don't think the main characters are the protagonists. What I'm hoping is to bring characters. Nobody's interesting. Tetsuo's interesting because weird sh*t happens to him, and Kaneda is so two-dimensional. That's part of the Japanese culture, they never have strong characters. They're used as a way to move the other philosophy forward. So hopefully in my version that will be strong, and you'll have a story that happens in that world that will show you a little bit of the mystery. Then, if you're interested, they'll make 'Akira 2 & 3' then you can get deeper into it. I love the world, a lot of people love that world, so why wouldn't we indulge in it a little bit and see how it would be if it was real? Like you say I don't have to explain everything, but wouldn't you like to spend two-hours in a world of "Akira" and follow a character and be like, 'that's cool'? That's all I want to offer, is two-hours in a world you can actually feel. We're working on it."
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