ROTTEN TOMATOES: Live-Action Akira Remake Gets a Director?

Live-Action Akira Remake Gets a Director?

WB's take on the classic anime to happen pre-strike?

by Jeff Giles | October 30, 2007

Way back in 2003, when Warner Bros. announced its intention to produce a live-action remake of Katsuhiro Otomo's classic 1988 anime Akira, millions of fans skeptically raised their eyebrows in unison...then, when no further announcements were forthcoming, slowly went about forgetting the whole thing ever happened.

Surprise! It looks like the live-action Akira is still on. And what's more, according to Bloody-Disgusting, it has a director. From the site's report:

We've been informed that Warner Bros. Pictures is trying to get Akira off the ground pre-strike and have attached 29-year-old Oscar nominated Irish director Ruairi Robinson!

Robinson's list of credits is slim, but impressive -- he was, as the Bloody-Disgusting report mentions, nominated for a Best Animated Short Film Oscar in 2002, for Fifty Percent Grey. He also directed The Silent City, a short film described by the Bloody-Disgusting crew as "mind-blowing." Fortunately, you can get a look at it via the site's BDTV -- just click on the link below!

Source: Bloody-Disgusting

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(1-20 of 32 posts) | Reply

xenogears writes:
on Oct 30 2007 07:05 AM

Akira was a great anime. I hope they don't screw it up.

(Reply to this)

jacog writes:
on Oct 30 2007 07:10 AM

If they do the whole thing in Japan, IN Japanese, with a Japanese director... then they wouldn't have had to worry so much about the strikes.

(Reply to this)

Sparky4Life writes:
on Oct 30 2007 07:17 AM

I agree with Jacog. If they make it in Japan, you can almost put money on this movie being good, otherwise, it will get americanized and be crap.

(Reply to this)

rustdog writes:
on Oct 30 2007 07:46 AM

You would think the budget for this would have to be huge. It better be set in Japan. It's neo tokyo not neo new york. I'm also worried a director with not much experience will be overwhelmed by this project. This is a huge elaborate movie not some little arthouse anime.

(Reply to this)

frogleg writes:
on Oct 30 2007 07:50 AM

I'm not sure how confident I am, but I will say that this type of remake isn't as annoying as a lot of them that are going on. The reason I think that is because you know this will be enough different from the original to warrant a viewing. It isn't "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" with more expensive cameras and MTV editing, it's a whole different thing entirely. I'm as skeptical as the next guy, but I don't think it's a terrible idea.

(Reply to this)

jpotter writes:
on Oct 30 2007 08:04 AM

file under "continues to seem like a bad idea." but i guess ya never know...

(Reply to this)

The One writes:
on Oct 30 2007 08:18 AM

I'll be completely honest. I'm a huge Akira fan and I think Ruairi Robinson is going to make a masterpiece out of it. His short films are astonishing.

(Reply to this)

Man_Of_Iron8905 writes:
on Oct 30 2007 08:19 AM

God I hope so.

(Reply to this)

danielfrohlich writes:
on Oct 30 2007 09:14 AM

Cillian Murphy was in that short film, The Silent City. That was pretty unexpected.

(Reply to this)

moviemonkey2 writes:
on Oct 30 2007 09:57 AM

I hope they aren't trying to adapt the anime movie to a live action movie. The original was such a trunkated version of the comics that it barely made sense. It was beautiful, but disjointed and confusing. If they're going to remake this, it'd better be from the comics. Otherwise this'll end up being a third generation copy.

(Reply to this)

romsy writes:
on Oct 30 2007 10:05 AM

Seems like an all right idea, still would be kinda cool to see Kaneda's bike in live action, but man does this director have a lot on his shoulders.

(Reply to this)

Young Turk writes:
on Oct 30 2007 10:10 AM

You have got to be kidding me....

(Reply to this)

renodc writes:
on Oct 30 2007 10:19 AM

In reply to this comment (#1234306)
I felt the same way about the anime movie. It seemed forced and choppy. The story wasn't very cohesive, and at points, it was very confusing. If I wasn't already familiar with the story, I think the film would have had me completely lost.

(Reply to this)

Hamboner writes:
on Oct 30 2007 10:26 AM

This would need to be done like 300 with entirely false backdrops, no place in the world looks lie Neo Tokyo, not even, uh, Now Tokyo. But that's jist a detail.

Whenever I get someone to actually watch Akira, they get freaked out and upset. What made the (anime's) story so compelling was that there weren't morals, messages, or even really hope. .1% of the population loves its bleakness and get drawn into seeing it and worship it, but a majority of Americans won't like this movie and will be upset by it if it is a faithful recreation. It will bomb. But without the blockbuster budget, it won't look right...

I just don't see how this can turn out well without a crazy private invester banking and distributing the whole thing. That said, I'd forgo sex for an inordinate amount of time to see it as it could be done.

(Reply to this)

Marrin24 writes:
on Oct 30 2007 10:52 AM

In reply to this comment (#1234120)
Guys look, don't kid yourself, there is a reason anime is so attractive and that is its ability to tell a story without having to limit it within the lines of reality and to tell a story the director wants, anyway he wants. This is just not possible with Live-Action films, even with the advances in CG animation like with the recent Transformers, there are still limits. Akira is the pinnicle film for anime fans anywhere and is considered hands down one of the most recognizable anime titles even to non-anime viewers. The story line is fine, But if you saw the very ending, you know that it may not be possible in live-action and still make sense or fiting correctly, and if u take it out or change it you ruin the core of the film and detract from the direction the director meant for the story to take.

(Reply to this)

sfpcross writes:
on Oct 30 2007 11:54 AM

Ok, I'm sorry but that guy's short film, "Silent City," was not good... Aside from the that fact that he had a budget and a great effects team, it was pretty much crap. The story was really dumb, and no, it isn't because I don't like futuristic stories, it's because the story didn't go anywhere or say anything. The pacing was horrible, the shots were mediocre, the writing was bad. I'm not saying this guy isn't talented, cause I haven't seen his other short, but to say this short is "mind blowing" is pretty asinine. Some people might give the excuse that there is only so much you can do in a short film, and you have a point, but trust me when I say he could have done a lot more.

(Reply to this)

reyes writes:
on Oct 30 2007 12:14 PM

who cares!

(Reply to this)

High School With Money writes:
on Oct 30 2007 12:31 PM

[b]who cares! [/b]

Apparently, everyone who posted before you, genius.

Marrin24 nailed the anime's significance. Unless they plan on making this a tentpole, it might as well go straight to DVD. And how much of this concerns Otomo's involvement, anyhoo?

(Reply to this)

0LDB0Y writes:
on Oct 30 2007 01:03 PM

I think Shakira should be in this movie.

(Reply to this)

harrismonkey writes:
on Oct 30 2007 01:10 PM

I just watched the short film. The guy is compitent, and obviously has some idea how to work around visual effects set pieces (probably why they're looking at him). But there is nothing much in this short film that makes him any more likely than a high end commecial or music video director to be able to pull off a particularly stunning first film (it does happen, look at being john Malkovich, One hour Photo, Hard candy, etc).

So basicly, they could do far worse, but I see nothing here to get overly excited about at this point.

(Reply to this)

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