Warner Bros. Studios is planning a live-action version of Akira, a 1988 Japanese animated film, which depicts a post-apocalyptic Tokyo.
I'm not going to describe it too much for two reasons. First of all, it's an amazing movie, and I don't want to spoil anything. It needs to be seen to be fully appreciated. Secondly, it's very difficult to describe this movie to someone who's never seen it before. It has a fair share of mindscrew moments.
What I will tell you is that Akira had quite an impact in the USA upon being released. Most people had never seen animation used to tell such a graphic story; one that was definitely not made for children. It also introduced America to Japanese animation, collectively known as "anime". It's a film that's influenced the works of many filmmakers, including Larry and Andy Wachowski, who are best known for directing The Matrix.
I'm interested to see how this movie is going to turn out, for a couple of reasons.
Back in 1988, animation was the only way such an epic story could be shown on the big screen. CGI was still in its infancy, and many works of fantasy and other forms of fiction were unfilmable. In a related story, the first film version of The Lord Of The Rings was an animated movie produced by Ralph Bakshi. When Peter Jackson's LOTR trilogy was released between 2001 and 2003, it won a combined seventeen academy awards, including Best Picture for The Return Of The King. I'm not saying something similar will happen with Akira, but lightning could strike twice.
One thing that puzzles me is the casting for the movie. Actors like James Franco and Morgan Freeman have reportedly been attached to various roles in this project, despite the fact that all of the characters in the original film are Asian. Perhaps the plot is being altered to have the film take place in the US. If they do have them play Japanese characters...I dunno. The thought of Morgan Freeman playing a Japanese man does make me snicker, however.
Regardless, I will still see the film when it's released. It's an excellent story, and I'm hoping whoever directs the movie handles it with care.
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