Live action Akira dead in the water as Warner Bros. gives up rights
After more than two decades, Warner Bros. has relinquished the live-action movie rights to the Japanese science fiction classic, Akira.
The rights have now reverted to Kodansha, the original manga publisher.
Akira, created by Katsuhiro Otomo, first appeared as a genre-defining manga series in 1982.
It is widely recognized for its seminal 1988 anime film adaptation, which was instrumental in introducing adult animation and Japanese culture to a global audience.
The story is set in a post-apocalyptic Tokyo and follows a teenager named Tetsuo, a member of a biker gang, who develops powerful telekinetic abilities that pose a threat to the world.
His childhood friend and gang leader, Kaneda, appears to be the only one capable of stopping him.
Warner Bros. initially acquired the movie rights in 2002, with Stephen Norrington, director of Blade, attached to direct and Jon Peters producing.
What followed was an extended period of development, during which the studio reportedly invested millions of dollars.
The initial version with Norrington eventually faded, and years later, Legendary joined to co-finance the project.
Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson came on board as producers, remaining with the project throughout its long development cycle.
Numerous writers and directors, including Garry Whitta, Mark Fergus, Hawk Otsby, Steve Kloves, Allen and Albert Hughes, and Jaume Collet-Sera, were involved at various stages.
Storyboards and concept art from artists like Tommy Lee Edwards, Chris Weston, and Ray Lai were commissioned but ultimately shelved.
The production faced challenges related to budget, cultural interpretation (at one point, Neo Tokyo was reportedly envisioned as New Manhattan), and accusations of whitewashing.
In 2012, Warner Bros. temporarily halted production offices in Vancouver to re-evaluate the project, which at the time had a budget of $90 million and actors such as Garrett Hedlund, Kirsten Stewart, Helena Bonham-Carter, and Ken Watanabe in discussions for roles.
The studio took several years to reassess and move forward from that point.
In 2017, Taika Waititi joined the project as a writer and director, with his version reportedly progressing significantly.
That iteration secured California film tax credits and had a release date set for May 21st, 2021.
Casting representatives were even on the ground in Japan, aiming for an all-Japanese cast.
However, Waititi’s commitments, including post-production for Jojo Rabbit, directing an episode of The Mandalorian, and writing Thor: Love and Thunder, led to scheduling conflicts.
The project’s timeline continued to shift, acquiring additional producers Garrett Basch and Jeremy Kleiner.
Waititi ultimately did not recommit to Akira, and the project has remained dormant since then.
The reversion of Akira rights follows other high-profile properties whose screen rights have become available this year, including the horror classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre and the rights to the Jason Bourne spy stories, which had been with Universal for over two decades.
With the rights now back with Kodansha, the future of a live-action Akira adaptation remains open to new possibilities.
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