Warner Bros. Officially Greenlights Live-Action Akira

[soulsabr]

This will be a fork-up and two words can tell you why: Teen Angst. See recent Transformer's movies for further details.

 

[tetron]

As it stands the special effects, acting, brutality, and even depth could all be captured in a live action movie of Akira. In fact they could make the entire movie choreographed as Akira down to the last blink, get the same lines, and make even the craziest and "fleshy" of special effects believable.

However, western culture screws up 90% of the dubs that it does and that's just voice acting. An entire live action movie ? Lets just say the chances of it being any good for Akira fans is slim to none. After all anime to live action doesn't have the best track record.

 

[Siege_TF]

I'm guessing the whole thing is going to be Green Lantern all over again most literally in not-Tetsuo's case, making him unsympathetic and underdeveloped as Peter Sarsguard's(sp) Hector Hammond. Whoever's going to be not-Tetsuo might act the roll well, but this is Warner Bros; odds are it's going to be written badly and not have a whole hell of a lot common with the original.

I'm not just being pessimisitic here, original Tetsuo has a few bad trips which are important to develop the character, and would be expencive as hell to put in live action which the movie doesn't seem to have the budget for.

 

[Vault101]

I havnt even seen akira yet and I am shaking my head in dismay

 

[Vault101]

Why would they make this?

The average moviegoer has no idea what Akira is.

extactly, if this does get made then THIS will be what Akira is, acording to the average movigoer

as for the avergae movie goer they also think "cartoons?? are for kiz!!!!! dur!!"

 

[Vault101]

Here's a better idea, since everything needs to be 3D these days, just release the original film in 3D for the new generation like they did for the Lion King. Sure it will be all for the money but it's a far better idea than this BS.

you are a friggen genius

oh but subtitles?? OHNOES!!!!...supose it will have to be dubbed

 

[Nikolaz72]

Here's a concept you may or may not understand. There is this thing called war. In it, a country that is fanatical, genocidal and imperial is one that is dealt with by any means necessary. Japan at the time was unquestionably all three, something you seem to have forgotten. You don't just say right or wrong as if thats even close to an argument, thats sociopathy. It neuters an act of self defence as if it were an attack, and relegates any death as being equally punishable regardless of intent. And yet, in any and all cultural representations of it, the parralel event is invariably depicted as random and with Japan having done nothing to incur this wrath. Which is akin to the Germans saying the Allies were totally picking on the Nazi's, who did nothing wrong at all.

By contrast, 9/11 was done in a time of peace, with no warning, and with no sane outcome apart from just the slaughter of innocents.

You say Japan was genocidal yet you ignore the fact two nukes wiped out far more than the US had lost and you claim 9/11 was done during a time of peace and that they got no warning but you people never warned the Japanese about nuking them not once even when you aired flyers dropping leaflets for them to evacuate did you never mention nuking them and not to mention you wiped those who wished to live out in the fraction of an instant.

When have we ever had peace?, have you completely ignored the rest of the world and what's been going on during the many centuries? because i cannot begin to think of a time when we have truly had "peace".

Also say what you will about the Japanese during WWII and the acts that followed but do not and i repeat do not forget about what your country did to them and only them the only country in the world to ever be nuked and forget about it like it was nothing.

Japaneese soldiers killed 10-20 Million Chineese including men women and children civilians <_<. Sure they might not have killed as many 'americans' as Americans killed of the Japaneese. But they did kill a lot more than the Americas. I dont want to drive it off topic, just putting that out there. Japaneese wasnt innocent. And before you say, (Oh its just numbers) Turn it around inside your head for a second.. Five hundred people fill a football field... Twenty Million would probably crowd a small country... They murdered the population of an -entire- smaller country. Thats rough.

 

[Gordon_4_v1legacy]

Japaneese soldiers killed 10-20 Million Chineese including men women and children civilians <_<. Sure they might not have killed as many 'americans' as Americans killed of the Japaneese. But they did kill a lot more than the Americas. I dont want to drive it off topic, just putting that out there. Japaneese wasnt innocent. And before you say, (Oh its just numbers) Turn it around inside your head for a second.. Five hundred people fill a football field... Twenty Million would probably crowd a small country... They murdered the population of an -entire- smaller country. Thats rough.

Thanks for the history lesson, and they've still to readily acknowledge the Rape of Nanking which as horror stories go would probably give Gobbles and Stalin a solid set of nightmares.

However, this is really a load of wank when related to Akira. Yes, Akira trades on the images and thoughts of Hiroshima and Nagasaki. Big, fucking, surprise. It was, for good or ill, one of the most culturally significant events in modern history. I don't pretend to second guess the judgement of the men in charge at the time, not my job and my IQ sure as shit ain't up to it. Just bear in mind that it trades on this because people remember it, with good reason.

Just as America remembers September 11, as England remembers the Blitz: they were significant and affected the people who experianced them (especially as children) greatly. Hiroshima was no different.

I love the irony of people bitching about an Akira Adaption not being faithful to the source, when the Animated Adaption wasnt faithful to the Manga in the first place.

Actually if a good remake of Akira is going to appear, its going to require either a saga of films or a television series: those manga are fucking doorstoopers man.

But really, go and look back at the list of american remakes of foreign films and the majority are worse than the original.

There's always "Fist Full of Dollars." I read somewhere that Kurosawa made more off of his lawsuit than he did from Yojimbo. Not that I think it will happen here; I'm just saying that it has happened before.

Quick bit of film school 101 champ, there's a reason 'The Man with no Name' trilogy are referred to as Spaghetti Westerns. It was made in Italy, by Italian director Sergio Leone, its rightly lionised music was composed by Ennio Morricone.

If we're going to poke fun at shitty trans-continental remakes, make sure they're ones that actually suck.



Remakes like this, unless you get a really smart writer to do them, tend to come across as hamfisted and trite unless you're looking at a concept more recognisable. Compare the shitty remake of DragonBall from Japan to America, to the more successful remake of The Seven Samurai to The Magnificent Seven. A remake that so impressed Kurosawa he sent John Sturges a sword as a thank you gift.

Since Akira really is rooted firmly into Japanese thought patterns, its a poor choice for an American remake, or any Western remake for that matter. However, if Cyberpunk is the flavour they seek, Kenichi Sonada's Bubblegum Crisis (original OVAs) might be a bit easier. Or even better, Gunsmith Cats.

 

[Treblaine]

I have no problem with a new look at the same basic story, shit is made all the time.

I hate... HAAEEET... that they are using the name "Akira".

You know there was a remake of Casablanca? But they at least had the GOD DAMN DECENCY not to use the same fucking name!

Ok, some cheap wino wants to re-use the basic story, sure, BUT WHY CHEAPEN THE NAME?!! Now no one can simply say "Akira was great movie" without it having to be compared to some bullshit made by a director more fitting to directing Paris Hilton! ESPECIALLY if it appears the main antagonist isn't even going to be called Akira, but Alex or something like that. Then you are using the name for no reason.

The only people who know the name are those who are fans or the original. Fans who I can guarantee WILL be disappointed by this bullshit. But if they are going to a is if even half as much as the release script suggests then it doesn't matter, it's like Speed 2, "Die Hard on a boat" it's not really Akira at all. So why use the name?

Change it.

Somehow.

Like "The Akira" or "Akira Rising" or something like that.

 

[Treblaine]

But really, go and look back at the list of american remakes of foreign films and the majority are worse than the original.

There's always "Fist Full of Dollars." I read somewhere that Kurosawa made more off of his lawsuit than he did from Yojimbo. Not that I think it will happen here; I'm just saying that it has happened before.

At least a "Fistful of Dollars" and "Yojimbo" had DIFFERENT NAMES!!

You could differentiate which GOD DAMN FILM you were talking about without having to mention which year they were made, Jesus Christ.

Again, if they want to have a go at the story of Akira, go ahead, knock yourself out.

But don't LEECH off far superior work and reputation by using the exact same fucking name, I bet they will use the EXACT same font, with maybe even a fake Japanese subtitle. Those Hollywood marketing buffs, they know film reputation... how often the real original Akira is lauded and recommended, well they are going to whore the fuck out of that.

And they legally have the god damn RIGHT to do that, which is what is so galling, they bought the right to use the name that everyone else has been promoting for the past 23 years! It's not THEIRS any more, it belongs to the fans, they have kept it alive, not anyone else!

 

[Baron von Blitztank]

I have seen Akira and while I will admit it made bugger all sense to me, I still enjoyed it
Now a remake...IN AMERICA! Surely Hollywood should have learned from Dragonball Evolution that Anime to Live-Action adaptations just don't work but hey, if it doesn't work the first time try, try, try, try, try again (and again, and again...). I'm tempted to watch it just to see how badly they fuck it up (and to see the Cthulhu/God/Technoorganic Blob/Eric Cartman scene) but then I'd become enraged that I'd be giving the film makers my money.

Something like this can only be either shittily hilarious or ungodly shit.

 

[fundayz]

It's not THEIRS any more, it belongs to the fans, they have kept it alive, not anyone else!

No it doesn't. Being a strong fan of something doesn't entitle you to anything.

 

[BonGookKumBop]

Quick bit of film school 101 champ, there's a reason 'The Man with no Name' trilogy are referred to as Spaghetti Westerns. It was made in Italy, by Italian director Sergio Leone, its rightly lionised music was composed by Ennio Morricone.

Thanks for the lesson, but let's expand it. The original "Yojimbo" movies were based on a book named "Red Harvest." In the copyright trial, Leone tried to argue that "Red Harvest" was a book with Italian roots, so his remake was just returning the story to its roots and wasn't copyright infringement. This argument didn't fly in court. The court held that it was still an unauthorized remake.

The point of my argument was that I saw a complaint along the lines of "All remakes sux!" and I wanted to point out that although this sentiment may hold true 99.9% of the time, it is occasionally false. You and Treblaine make valid points in showing that the best remakes are usually when a story idea is reworked with a different title and approach, but this isn't necessarily true either.

Alfred Hitchcock was under contract with Paramount to remake one of his earlier films. Though he was loath to do it, he remade "The Man Who Knew Too Much." It has been said of the two films that both the movie and the director grew together and I tend to agree. On the other hand, "Last Man Standing" is another take at the "Red Harvest" story that was much closer to the original story than either of the previous movies and starred Bruce Willis. It didn't do well.

I personally don't believe the movie will be good; I just wanted to point out that the all remakes suck argument has some holes. Personally, I wouldn't be surprised if this movie ends up going the way of the "Ender's Game" live action movie, but that one was due more to the fact that Orson Scott Card has artistic integrity and refuses to let movie executives cast Ender any older than 12.

ESPECIALLY if it appears the main antagonist isn't even going to be called Akira, but Alex or something like that. Then you are using the name for no reason.

Just to be fair, the main characters were Kaneda and Tetsuo; Akira was just a McGuffin that probably influenced Jenova from Final Fantasy VII.

 

[BlackWidower]

All I have to say is ever since the rumor came out of a live-action Evangelion with Elijah Wood as Shinji, I have just shut out everything that has to do with anime movie remakes.

I missed that rumor. When exactly did anyone connect Wood to the Evangelion movie?

It was about 9 months ago. It was disproven, but still made me sad.

So...you're automatically biased against live-action adaptations of anime because some prick somewhere made up that Shinji would be played by Frodo?

No offence, but that's pretty stupid.

No, I'm biased against live-action remakes because I saw Legend of Chun Li, Dragonball Evolution, The Last Airbender, and especially Blood: The Last Vampire, and I died inside.

There has not been a successful American live remake of an Anime in the history of either. Why should now be any different?

...because they have the right team on board, because they learned from their mistakes, because Avatar: the Last Airbender was an American show, and because Blood: The Last Vampire was a British/French/Hong Kongian movie.

Doesn't change the fact that all listed were animes (except Avatar which falls under Americanime, an awful place to be) and all of them were nominated for worst movie of the year. Hell, Dragonball won a Razzie.

You can't take 26 episodes of deep, thoughtful commentary and make it a movie, and you can't take the themes and ideas of Akira and port them over here everything changed. It doesn't work, it can't work, and it won't work.

Well, Airbender was 13 hours long, and the movie was two hours long, of course it wouldn't work. But why do you say it can't work with Akira? They can fit the same themes in the same time frame. The only thing that would change is the production method. Why can't it work. Assuming they got the right people on board.

 

[standokan]

And yet another franchise I love dies off thanks to hollywood.

 

[shadyh8er]

Is it sad I can only think of one reason why this will suck? Meh, who cares, here it is:

What made the titular character Akira so scary (in my eyes anyways) was that we know next to nothing about him except that he leveled Japan with one explosion. Making him sing nursery rhymes will just make him another one of those "scary kids" that I've seen enough of in any movie. It takes a LOT to make me fear a kid. This approach comes nowhere close.

 

[Shadow-Phoenix]

Here's a concept you may or may not understand. There is this thing called war. In it, a country that is fanatical, genocidal and imperial is one that is dealt with by any means necessary. Japan at the time was unquestionably all three, something you seem to have forgotten. You don't just say right or wrong as if thats even close to an argument, thats sociopathy. It neuters an act of self defence as if it were an attack, and relegates any death as being equally punishable regardless of intent. And yet, in any and all cultural representations of it, the parralel event is invariably depicted as random and with Japan having done nothing to incur this wrath. Which is akin to the Germans saying the Allies were totally picking on the Nazi's, who did nothing wrong at all.

By contrast, 9/11 was done in a time of peace, with no warning, and with no sane outcome apart from just the slaughter of innocents.

You say Japan was genocidal yet you ignore the fact two nukes wiped out far more than the US had lost and you claim 9/11 was done during a time of peace and that they got no warning but you people never warned the Japanese about nuking them not once even when you aired flyers dropping leaflets for them to evacuate did you never mention nuking them and not to mention you wiped those who wished to live out in the fraction of an instant.

When have we ever had peace?, have you completely ignored the rest of the world and what's been going on during the many centuries? because i cannot begin to think of a time when we have truly had "peace".

Also say what you will about the Japanese during WWII and the acts that followed but do not and i repeat do not forget about what your country did to them and only them the only country in the world to ever be nuked and forget about it like it was nothing.

Japaneese soldiers killed 10-20 Million Chineese including men women and children civilians <_<. Sure they might not have killed as many 'americans' as Americans killed of the Japaneese. But they did kill a lot more than the Americas. I dont want to drive it off topic, just putting that out there. Japaneese wasnt innocent. And before you say, (Oh its just numbers) Turn it around inside your head for a second.. Five hundred people fill a football field... Twenty Million would probably crowd a small country... They murdered the population of an -entire- smaller country. Thats rough.

Oh i'm never going to say they were innocent but you just don't drop two atomic bombs and kill millions of civilians without their choice and claim it was the only strat ever thinkable.

Actually now you think about it hardly any country in the world is innocent as thousands if not millions have been slaughtered throughout time.

 

[Aptspire]

the main problem is how many terrible rumors have been heard so far
Zac Efron
Rating dropped from M to PG-13 (X-Men First Class was a fluke)
Robert Pattingson

 

[blindthrall]

I'm not even an anime fan, but this pisses me off. I don't care about where it came from or how groundbreaking it was, for me Akira is just an awesome story that they aren't treating with the respect it deserves.

It remains as the single most devastating act of war ever committed against another country. Right or wrong has nothing to do with it here: it was an incident which resulted in over 200,000 people dying during the blast, two cities being totally levelled, and thousands upon thousands more people dying in the following months and years due to radiation poisoning.

Stalingrad killed way over a million Russians, but everything about their culture doesn't relate back to that.