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Live action Akira is on its way in 2009

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With news sprouting up everywhere, regarding the live action version of the Japanese animation classic Akira by Katsuhiro Otomo, lets take a look at what information is currently out there. Well the live action version is reported to be split into two parts, all adapted from the books/graphic novels themselves, and while the original animation version was quite long at add time here, the story was significantly cut from the original and at some points the pace was pretty fast moving.

Warner Brother’s are the studio involved on this one, and the director is Ruairi Robinson. This will be his first full length feature movie, and starting out by directing a 2 part story like Akira, that has a massive cult fan base and was a huge crossover hit in the west, is putting a lot of pressure upon his own shoulders. Leonardo DiCaprio is onboard as a producer through his Appian Way company, and is also reported to be taking the lead role. Katsuhiro Otomo is also onboard as the executive producer, with script writing by Gary Whitta.

The story takes a shift as its now set in New-Manhattan rather than in Tokyo, a giant sprawling metropolis. I hope they keep a lot of the elements that make the original so interesting and down water it down as they easily could. The good things here are that Otomo is onboard which should reign in any ideas to far from the original and DiCaprio who’s turned in good performances in near all his recent movies, this is definitely one to keep an eye on.

The planned release schedule is for 2009.