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Taika Waititi in talks for "Akira."

M3d10n

Member
I think even a modern adaptation of a straight up non-whitewashed Japanese-set Akira, while being faithful to the letter of the work, would lose the spirit (much like Ghost in the Shell). The themes were pretty specific to the time, and Japan is a slightly different place now.

I think an American Adaptation could be very fruitful if they had the balls to stick some actual themes of the time in there and make the cast diverse, immigrants ideally.

Here's your template: Attack the Block. Just re-imagine that movie where Moses (Boyega) is in the Kaneda role, and one of his buddies is Tetsuo.

Edit: Though better yet, go ahead and just watch/rewatch Attack the Block.

I agree with this. It wouldn't even need to use a sci-fi dystopian setting. The entire theme could be transferred to a rundown neighborhood with a black cast and it would still feel more faithful than whatever they'll come up with.
 

Not

Banned
Taika's among the only ones I could see honoring the source material and giving some Asian-American actors a shot at the leads.

Come on, Tyke. Fix Asian representation in movies singlehandedly. Come on come on come on
 
I'd rather full scale Bartkira.

tXFb5EX.gif

Sorry if this is a stupid question, but is this a fan-made image or did this actually happen on an episode of The Simpsons?
 
New article from IGN, didn't think it warranted a new thread.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/10/10/taika-waititi-on-akira-movie-rumors-and-whitewashing-concerns

He says that it's just a rumor but that he'd want to adapt the manga, rather than the film, and that he'd cast young Asian unknowns.

Those are all the right things I want to hear. The only way a live-action Akira manga adaptation works if it's a movie series or a TV series.

As iconic and ground-breaking as the movie is, it's actually an imperfect adaptation of the epic manga. I mean, it wasn't their fault, since the manga wasn't finished by the time the movie started production. But the manga tells a much better and more involved story.

With that being said, he's not directing his version of Akira unless Thor: Ragnarok is the #2 movie this year behind The Last Jedi.
 

Einchy

semen stains the mountaintops
C Y B E R P U N K I S D E A D 
 

firelogic

Member
Stop trying to make anime films a thing.

What about manga to live action? Akira is an awesome story that just happened to be in graphic novel form. If Akira was a book, would that make it ok to turn it into a movie? The success rate hasn't been high, same for game to movie adaptations, but you can't just throw a blanket over the whole thing and call it a bad idea.
 
What about manga to live action? Akira is an awesome story that just happened to be in graphic novel form. If Akira was a book, would that make it ok to turn it into a movie? The success rate hasn't been high, same for game to movie adaptations, but you can't just throw a blanket over the whole thing and call it a bad idea.
It's tough for Hollywood studios to bring Japanese manga or anime to life in a way that connects with Western audiences. It hasn't been done successfully even once that I can think of.
 
New article from IGN, didn't think it warranted a new thread.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/10/10/taika-waititi-on-akira-movie-rumors-and-whitewashing-concerns

He says that it's just a rumor but that he'd want to adapt the manga, rather than the film, and that he'd cast young Asian unknowns.

That's neat, actually. I'd like to see the second half of the manga adapted at some point. And good for him regarding the cast. But yeah, this film is never gonna happen.

Best scenario for me would be a new adaptation of the entire manga as an animated mini-series. But I don't know who could finance such a thing. Maybe Netflix?
 
I was thinking about a hypothetical Akira movie today starring John Boyega and Steven Yuen.

That idea makes me overly excited. It won't happen, but I really would love that.

I think even a modern adaptation of a straight up non-whitewashed Japanese-set Akira, while being faithful to the letter of the work, would lose the spirit (much like Ghost in the Shell). The themes were pretty specific to the time, and Japan is a slightly different place now.

I think an American Adaptation could be very fruitful if they had the balls to stick some actual themes of the time in there and make the cast diverse, immigrants ideally.

Here's your template: Attack the Block. Just re-imagine that movie where Moses (Boyega) is in the Kaneda role, and one of his buddies is Tetsuo.

Edit: Though better yet, go ahead and just watch/rewatch Attack the Block.

I do rematch Attack The Block regularly. Fuck, they should just reboot Attack The Block, honestly.


Young Asian Unknowns would be great but Hollywood doesn't allow them
 

kmax

Member
New article from IGN, didn't think it warranted a new thread.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/10/10/taika-waititi-on-akira-movie-rumors-and-whitewashing-concerns

He says that it's just a rumor but that he'd want to adapt the manga, rather than the film, and that he'd cast young Asian unknowns.

source.gif


So this movie isn't happening with him, I take it.

Hollywood doesn't even give a fuck.

If a miracle were to happen, more power to him. Lord only knows that we need more diversity in Hollywood.
 
New article from IGN, didn't think it warranted a new thread.

http://www.ign.com/articles/2017/10/10/taika-waititi-on-akira-movie-rumors-and-whitewashing-concerns

He says that it's just a rumor but that he'd want to adapt the manga, rather than the film, and that he'd cast young Asian unknowns.

Yeah, guy seems on point (especially since the manga is absolutely amazing), shame he's not met the producers yet who will give him a reality check on "how things work in Hollywood"... :/
 
either they dumb down the story for the masses or it will be too long and ponderous for the average movie goer (like Blade Runner)....lose lose
 

leakey

Member
Wouldn't be able to do the cut-down story from the anime version justice. Can't see this going well. Would still be curious to see even the first ten minutes of the original done in live-action, though.
 

Rydeen

Member
I just wish Katsuhiro Otomo would put out another big animated film... :/

Yeah me too, he was talking intently about collaborating more with Hollywood about 10-15 years ago, but I think the studio system has burned him out on doing any international collaborations. Short Peace was beautiful, but almost all the shorts ended abruptly and it wasn't very substantial for an anthology.
 
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