After years and years of development, it appears that we are this close to finally seeing the live-action remake, produced by Leonardo DiCaprio, of the classic animated Japanese film “Akira.” After what feels like a million stops and starts, with actors and directors coming and going, Warner Bros. has taken a major first step in bringing “Akira” closer to production.
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Deadline is reporting that WB has just received word on what tax credits it will receive from shooting “Akira” in the pristine weather of sunny California. Will we be looking at Neo LA?
For those that aren’t aware of the Japanese animated film, “Akira” tells the story of a group of young men in a biker gang in Neo Tokyo. The gang becomes entrenched in a government experiment gone wrong and must fight to save one of their own before another major disaster ruins the city.
The development of a live-action remake has been rumored for decades. The current iteration of the project includes DiCaprio (who was rumored to star in an earlier version) as the producer and filmmaker Taika Waititi (who the report says is still attached) at the helm. With “Ghost in the Shell” receiving all sorts of backlash for its casting choices, it’ll really be interesting to see how WB proceeds with “Akira.”
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Ravi Mehta, Warner Bros. Pictures EVP of physical production and finance, said, “We are thrilled with the opportunity to shoot ‘Akira’ in California. The availability of top-notch crew members, plus the wide variety of location choices and predictable weather are second to none.”
No release date has been confirmed, nor have really any details been made official. But for the first time ever, we are close to seeing a live-action “Akira” enter production.