Live action Akira films are coming

Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira, a six volume long graphic novel, has been optioned by Warner Bros. and will be made into two live action films. Each film, co-financed by Legendary Films, will be comprised of three volumes. The first film, which is being fast tracked for a summer release in 2009, will be comprised of the first three volumes while the second will be comprised of the last three.

Otomo, who directed the much acclaimed 1988 cyberpunk anime film of the same name, will executive produce the live action films along with Appian Way’s Jennifer Davisson and Leonardo DiCaprio. Akira’s storyline centers on issues of social isolation, corruption and power in New Manhattan (Neo Tokyo in the manga) in the year 2030. Gary Whitta will write the script and Ruairi Robinson has been tapped to direct.

Warner Bros had to pony up seven figures to reacquire the rights from manga publisher Kodansha in a bidding war after they let the rights expire.

Source: Variety, Wikipedia

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