Ruairi Robinson to Direct Live-Action Akira Movie?
Akira (Live-Action) Movie — By Nix on October 29, 2007
Good God, they’re trying to make a live-action version of Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s 1988 landmark animated movie “Akira”. Why in the world would they try such a foolish thing? “Akira” was killer in its time and it still holds up now, and to adapt it into a live-action movie version is simply astounding and more than a little foolish. But hey, if Hollywood is one thing, it’s that you can never accuse it of lacking in foolishness, so they’re going to do it anyway. Or at least, according to Bloody-Disgusting, who “heard” that Warner Bros. has tapped some Irish lad named Ruairi Robinson to remake the movie, picking up where Stephen Norrington and James Robinson (smartly) left off a few years ago when they failed to bring the film to fruition.
More:
We’ve been informed that Warner Bros. Pictures is trying to get Akira off the ground pre-strike and have attached 29-year-old Oscar nominated Irish director Ruairi Robinson! No more details have been revealed other than he directed a mind blowing short film entitled The Silent City, which can be viewed over at BDTV. Watch this spot for more news soon and cross your fingers that this sucker gets rolling ASAP.
Um, no, guys, I’m crossing my fingers that this DOESN’T “get rolling ASAP”. If you’re a fan of the anime, you’d be doing the same thing.
There is absolutely no reason to adapt “Akira” into a live-action movie. IT WON’T WORK. The outrageous motorcycles, the battles with the Clowns, the ENDING??? Seriously, only a fool would think it’s possible to make a live-action version of this movie and do it justice.
IT CAN’T BE DONE AND IT SHOULDN’T BE DONE.
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11 Comments
I think a live action Akira movie would be sweet, but only if its based on the mangas and not the movie. The movie is sort a halfass on the whole storyline but a 3 to 4 hour live action movie telling one of the greatest post apocalyptic/biker/cyberpunk/dystopian stories ever would rule
Hello, I think the anime is crap compared to the manga and I would enjoy seeing a live action film. I just wish they kept it true to original story of it being in Neo Japan and not Neo Manhattan.
When will Hollywood learn. Akira is not a story, it is a big, noisy, visual assault. If it were to be remade in such a way as to make any sense to a western audience, it would have to be completely rewritten so that it did not even resemble it’s former self. There would be no real point in even calling it Akira.
The biggest problem here is the problem that is epidemic in Hollywood these days across the board. That is that they are putting the unqualified into the director’s chair. Any little spod who has ‘directed’ a ’short film’ on his computer, or pointed a camera in a music video is now somehow deemed an appropriate choice to helm a two hour narrative. The skills simply do not transfer over. This is a particular problem when they get these little special effects geeks to take the chair. All these twits want to do is talk about lenses, 3D programs, gadgetry, and other tech-speak. They are clueless regarding the actual telling of a story, and the moronic execs who put them into these positions of unearned power are to blame. The little Irish dork assigned to Akira is an exceptional insult. Having seen his so-called shorts online, I can only say ‘Heaven help us’. Another underqualified child is once again foisted upon us, the paying public, and they are going to get exactly what they are paying for. Garbage. Lets hope DiCaprio and the studio have enough sense to boot this imposter out of the Akira equation and demand that a real director be installed before this film gets rolling.
Yeah Im afraid Peter Jackson may be the only director around who MIGHT have the skills to do AKIRA live action. But it is possible albeit the budget to do it right visually will probably be record breaking. I have a feeling it will still suck though! Im sure everyone will agree that AKIRA is an almost ’sacred’ anime title and anybody who thinks they can remake it to live action is probably in it for the money than for trying to do the film justice!
NIX: “Good God, they’re trying to make a live-action version of Katsuhiro Ôtomo’s 1988 landmark animated movie “Akira”.
Incorrect, they are making two live action movies based on the six graphic novels Katsuhiro Otomo started writing back in 1982. Maybe some see this as degrading to the animated movie, but there’s a lot of people out there including myself who, while thinking the anime was awesome, feeling ripped off by the fact that the movie only tells the bare bones of the overall story – remember, the entire manga series hadn’t even been written when the anime came out.
So yeah, for those who are focused on comparing the new production solely to the old anime, that’s fine, but if you haven’t read the manga, you are certainly missing more than half of the whole Akira story content – something that a lot of us are looking forward to finally seeing onscreen in the live version.
“Incorrect”? Read the date, genius. That post was made last year, BEFORE they announced the two-movie adaptation a few weeks ago.
wut r u stupid??? yea Akira is the best Anime movie hands down! but it is a possibility with the technology in filmaking we have 2day that it could be as nasty as the anime just with an american/like twist. so dont say anything about it untill theres at least a preview 4 it or sumthing…and if ur a true akira fan it would be exciting 4 u 2.
My problem is not with the making a live action itself…it’s with the institution with which they’re making it.
How can you possibly make a live action of one of the greatest, most ground-breaking animes/mangas ever?
With difficulty is the answer.
But I’m sure it could be done.
I’m even sure it could become the next Lord of The Rings if they get the balance of CGI and live-action right; I mean, the whole story is based on an experiment unknown to *us* – am I not right?!
I was greatly looking forward to it actually, the whole idea of seeing it really come to actual LIFE on screen excited me – but come on. Leonardo DiCaprio?! WHAT?! Where’s the Japanese influences, never mind actors!? Where did Neo-Tokyo disappear to? Where did the JAPAN go?!?!?
It’s an actual travesty that all the culture, the manga, the anime – it’s all going to be for nothing.
Why?
Because this multi-million dollar Hollywood melting pot of corporate political correctness is going to kill all that.
It’s going to be a multi-million dollar pile of crap. I can see it now. Hundreds of thousands of people cramming themselves into hundreds of thousands of cinemas across nations worldwide, and won’t have a clue what they’re watching. Or rather, not watching.
Then, they will file out of the cinemas, bleating about how hot Leo DiCaprio is in his biker gear, how awesome the CGI and the camera shots are, how damn wicked the whole film is, and what will the Japanese get?
Nothing but a bit of meaningless coin in their pockets. They might not even get that, I’m not big on the whole copyright law thing.
I’m actually enraged. The manga, the anime, it’s going to be smothered by this…monstrosity. And nobody who sees this “film” is going to give a hoot about them. Because that’s how Hollywood works.
It takes everything that’s culturally significant and poignant about a movie or a manga, or any other media, and rips it to shreds in order to make it look pretty.
You know what it’s like?!
It’s like taking the class “geek”, depth and all, and stripping them of all individuality in order to make them into just another blonde, wonderfully “typical” teenager, with a complete lack of I.Q.
That’s exactly what it’s like.
And it irks me.
Of course they can make a live action of Akira! Of course they can, I’m not one to stop them! I love seeing my favourite none-live action media forms turn into something more, something different, something deeper, perhaps (I could quite easily turn Mononoke Hime – Princess Mononoke – into a masterpiece, if I had the money and the qualifications)…but what I really don’t want them to do is destroy it completely! Hollywood will kill it! I’m sorry, but I do believe this is one case where a live-action adaptation will succeed in smashing the “You can take Akira out of Japan, but you can’t take Japan out of Akira” cliche.
*sigh*
What a world we live in, eh?
Kaneda’s Motorcycle Concept Website:
http://www.negatendo.net/kmc/
It is possible and it will happen!
However, The rumors of NEO Manhattan vs NEO Tokyo worry me.
If they can get composer Shoji Yamashiro to rescore the soundtrack
and most importantly Katsuhiro Otomo to help direct like they say, it- We’ll be fine.- just sit back and let it happen. I am one Fan who cant wait. This damn rumor has been circulating since the films original release.
If all else fails- WB should just rerelease the anime in theatres.
I, myself have not seen the anime yet. I havnt even read the manga.. i intend to tonight after a trip to the store… but i do hate when hollywood gets its clutches on something good.. you KNOW that money is prime objective.. personally i think they film adaptations because the lack of the creativity to create there own masterpiece.. may be overkill but hollywood 99% of the time is mainstream garbage boom bang pshh crash thats another multi million dollar “blockbuster” there research shows will be the seasons big hit.. then again just because we dont like there ideas/adapts doesnt mean someone else wont.. but the point is they take films with fan bases and reshoot them to target there cash cows not to please original fans.. not to say an original fan wont like it….meh you get my point.. either way well see whats what if this thing ever happends…