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Live-action Hollywood Akira

SailSail
edited February 2008 in Movies
I don't know how I feel about this.

First Watchmen, now Akira? I thought that a satisfactory Watchmen movie would be hard to pull off, but I think that Akira will be even tougher. What's more, they're doing two.

How does everyone feel about this? Does this mean Hollywood movies based on graphic novels is the new trend? What will this mean for the "geek industries" with all this mainstream publicity? Will graphic novels and animation reach the same level of respect as an art form here as they have in Japan?
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Comments

  • Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
    This is a bad/good sign. They signed a no-name director on, this will either be good in that he might do something unexpected or do something that the company may not like, but the opposite might be true. His lack of experience may ruing the project. I feel that the latter will more likely come to fruition.
  • OmnutiaOmnutia
    I don't understand this move. Akira is already a highly popular film.
  • WallyBmanWallyBman
    Hey, look! Another movie I won't pay shit to see. Even if it turns out to be an awesome remake, it will still be an awesome remake of a shit film.
  • SailSail
    Don't mind me, just posting some threads so that we all know our pal Wally's opinion on Akira and he won't have to wreck this thread with his trolling.
  • whateverwhatever
    Ack, looking at that first link makes me remember how much my early posts on this forum sucked. And Akira isn't even all that old. Why do we need a remake?
  • Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
    edited February 2008
    Everyone rags on Hellsing pretty bad, but I really enjoyed it. Same with DearS, but I saw in a different light than most people. Most people see it as just another moe show, just involving slavery this time around. The main character seemed, to me, to be another Shinki Akiri, but with an actual cause other than self-pity. I also saw it as about someone being born and bred to be nothing more than an object, and another person struggling with his own problems, and helping the slave to be who she is, and not who everyone tells her to be.
    This statement made me to not care at all about Wally's taste. DearS is an absolutely shit show with no redeeming qualities and is incredibly creepy because of the slave aspect.

    DearS is one of the anime that makes up the "Trifectum of Pain, Suffering, and All That is Evil" along with Elfen Lied and Koi Kaze. The way I see it is that if you like one of these shows, you are a terrible person with terrible taste. If you like two of the shows, you should be seeking psychiatric, medical, or police attention because there is something seriously wrong with you. If you like all three, you should be dragged out into the street and shot and then your body and the DVD's of the shows shall be ceremonially burned and then pissed on.
    Post edited by Li_Akahi on
  • SailSail
    edited February 2008
    NO. NO. Don't feed the troll. We are not going to let this thread turn into another argument about Wally's tastes in anime. I also forbid anyone to respond to any posts Wally makes in this thread about his opinion on Akira. We've already been down that road too many times.
    Post edited by Sail on
  • Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
    I think that if the director is competent, if Otomo is going to have say in the movie, and they have all 6 volumes represented that it could be good. Most of the quality will ride on the director, though.
  • SailSail
    I certainly hope that Otomo will have some say. It would also be nice if the director were a fan of the manga. If he is, then there's a good chance he'll mean to do it serious justice.
  • ErynEryn
    edited February 2008
    Hey, look! Another movie I won't pay shit to see. Even if it turns out to be an awesome remake, it will still be an awesome remake of a shit film.
    Ack, looking at that first link makes me remember how much my early posts on this forum sucked. And Akira isn't even all that old. Why do we need a remake?
    I wouldn't really call this project a "remake," per se, or at least not a direct remake of the existing film. The ANN and Variety articles state pretty clearly that these new films will specifically be re-adapting the manga, not remaking the anime. From the ANN article: "Warner Brothers and Appian Way [...] will adapt Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira manga into two live-action films. Each film will cover three volumes of the renowned science-fiction manga[.]"

    Anyway, Wally, shouldn't you at least be a bit more interested in this project knowing that more story from the manga will make the leap to the screen? You have apparently said more than a few times that one of your main problem with the Akira anime was the lack of coherence in the story. However, you also said in one of the threads that Sail posted that you thought the source material at least might have amazing literary merit. Thus, if more of the actual story from the original comes forth in these two movies and ends up making the plot more understandable, then by your own words, the new movies would be more worth watching to you, right? I know that's what makes me interested, because I agree with you - the anime was very confusing and rushed, mainly due to the amount of cramming and trimming they had to do to the manga in order to make the movie happen. I don't agree that this makes it an entirely unworthwhile movie, but it certainly means that it's far from perfect.
    Post edited by Eryn on
  • gomidoggomidog
    edited February 2008
    One thing I wonder about is the setting. Are they going to set it in a Dystopian Japan like in the original manga? Are all the characters going to be played by Japanese actors, or are they going to pull some "Memoirs of a Geisha" business and cast well known Chinese names, or perhaps Hollywood types. I doubt the film will be subtitled, but what I'd really like to see is some unknown Asian-American actors cast for their skill rather than for their fame. It seems like too often these type of projects depend heavily on name recognition and end up casting people who are totally wrong for the part.

    Edit: I should have read the article. New Manhattan? Ha! Lately Manhattan is getting destroyed as much as the Tokyo Tower, what with Cloverfield, I am Legend, etc! I am glad the world is not like the movies, because I would be having a tough time of it. I hope they don't cast a white guy for Kaneda, though. I know they are going to, but why...sigh. He doesn't have to be Asian, but I know they are going to cast some blonde teen idol and I will go "Meh."

    I'm kinda bummed, because just yesterday I was thinking of an adaptation of Takako Yamazaki's Zero set in a post nuclear war Manhatten. It would have been cool, but way to similar this reimagining of Akira to ever have a chance.
    Post edited by gomidog on
  • VigaViga
    I wont believe it fully until they start production. Live action Eva say what?
  • rhinocerorhinocero
    I don't understand the insistence on having Asian or Asian-American actors, or on keeping Japan as the location. The story doesn't seem to care particularly about the locale.
  • AprecheApreche
    The story doesn't seem to care particularly about the locale.
    Then you either haven't read, or didn't fully understand, the story.
  • ErynEryn
    At least this project has a director and screenwriter and other pre-production details officially attached right out the starting gate, unlike the Eva project. So it's already looking more likely in my eyes. Note: more likely, not a definite lock.
  • SailSail
    Otomo's gonna get some say.
    Otomo will exec produce the films.
  • SailSail
    edited December 2011
    So, this project has been killed off and brought back again, and it's happening for real this time. This makes me want to cry. Kristen Stewart is going to make the worst Kei ever. Even worse than that are the changes they seem to have made to the storyline beyond just changing the location and making Kaneda a white guy.

    It's become even worse than this:
    Post edited by Sail on
  • RuffasRuffas
  • GreatTeacherMacRossGreatTeacherMacRoss
    I will absolutely not see this movie for a thousand different reasons.
  • VentureJVentureJ
    Takei's got it!
  • Victor FrostVictor Frost
    Some day I shall meet him and give him a hug and a handshake. He is a fountain of wisdom and awesome, that man.
  • Li_AkahiLi_Akahi
    Some day I shall meet him and give him a hug and a handshake. He is a fountain of wisdom and awesome, that man.
  • WyattWyatt
    I will absolutely not see this movie for a thousand different reasons.
    Still butthurt from paying to seeing Conan?
  • YoshoKatanaYoshoKatana
    Man, I just love the sound of Takei's voice. Also, it seems like everything that Emily didn't like shall come to pass.
  • ShiamShiam
    I'll bet that this goes the same way as Priest. Namely the strongest resemblance to the source will be its name. It's a shame they're doing this to property that has a strong story in the first place.
    Also I too agree, Takei is awesome.
  • loltsundereloltsundere
    I will absolutely not see this movie for a thousand different reasons.
  • gomidoggomidog
    edited December 2011
    I was just talking to my Japanese teacher about this movie. When they are going to butcher the source material this much, why not just take the elements they like and make a movie inspired by, but not based on, the manga Akira? The Wachowski Brothers did that with Ghost in the Shell. They made the Matrix, which they openly acknowledged heavily inspired by Shiro's work, and that was one of the most popular movies ever. Using title recognition in this case was dumb, because fans of the original will just hate on it for being a completely changed story, and normal people won't recognize the name or even care.
    Post edited by gomidog on
  • GreatTeacherMacRossGreatTeacherMacRoss
    I will absolutely not see this movie for a thousand different reasons.
    Still butthurt from paying to seeing Conan?
    That lead to a very amusing conversation that was almost as long as the movie about how the movie could have been amazing. The conversation was worth the price of admission.
  • AndouReiyaAndouReiya
    Two words: Hell no.

    I don't like watching movies much, and if it's a remake of an anime film, even less.
  • Luke BurrageLuke Burrage
    Guys, even if the live action version is made, the original movie will still exist! Nobody is going to go round burning every Akira VHS and DVD. What are you worried about? Shit movies come out all the time, and nobody gives a shit. If this is a shit movie, that just means it is an average movie.
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