Wednesday, February 10, 2010

Report: Book of Eli’s Hughes Brothers in Akira Talks

Originally posted on 2010-02-10 13:54 EST @ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2010-02-10/report/book-of-eli-hughes-brothers-in-akira-talks

Menace II Society directors in reported talks over Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga

New York Magazine’s Vulture blog reports that the Hughes brothers — the directors behind Menace II Society, Dead Presidents, From Hell, and The Book of Eli — are negotiating with the Warner Brothers movie studio to direct the planned live-action film adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira manga. ComingSoon.net reported in December that Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, the writers of the first Iron Man film, wrote the most recent script drafts for the two proposed films. According to the Vulture blog, “an official release from the studio is expected later this week” regarding Albert and Allen Hughes’ involvement.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Aviator) is producing the planned live-action film adaptation through his Appian Way production company. Mad Chance producer Andrew Lazar (Jonah Hex, Space Cowboys) said at Comic-Con International in August that the live-action project “is a real priority project for Warner Brothers” but is not likely to go into production before the third quarter of 2010 for a 2011 release. Otomo is an executive producer and consultant on the project.

According to The Hollywood Reporter and Variety in 2008, Warner and Appian Way will adapt the Akira manga into two live-action films. Each film would cover three volumes of the renowned science-fiction manga about a governmental genetic project and a teenager’s attempt to save a fellow biker gang member. Otomo directed his own animated film adaptation that premiered on July 16, 1988 — the same day that the story has the fictional Tokyo being destroyed.

Update: More background information added.

Vulture Exclusive: The Hughes Brothers to Direct the Akira Remake

Originally Posted 2/10/10 at 12:00 PM @ http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/02/akira_remake_hughes_bros.html

Vulture Exclusive: The Hughes Brothers to Direct the Akira Remake


Photo: Toho Company

Vulture has learned that Warner Bros. is negotiating to reteam with The Book of Eli’s Hughes brothers to have them direct a live-action remake of the cult favorite Akira, from a script by Iron Man scribes Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby. (Akira is being produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s company, Appian Way, along with Andrew Lazar, who’s also currently producing an adaptation of DC Comics’ Jonah Hex for Warners.)

Even if you had read all of Katsuhiro Otomo’s epic 1982 manga and/or seen his own 1988 anime adaptation, summarizing the plot to Akira would still prove a bit of a challenge. As near as we can figure, Akira is about the leader of a biker gang who tries to save his kidnapped pal from a powerful supernatural experiment. (It might also be a psycho-philosophical exploration of corruption, the will to power, and the maturation of man and mankind, but we were actually pretty high when we first saw it in college, so please don’t hold us to that.)

Respecting the source’s complexity (or perhaps acquiescing to it), Warners won’t proceed with a single, live-action remake of the film, which trimmed away the last half of the 2,182-page graphic novel in order to weigh in at just over two hours. Instead, we hear that the studio is planning to make Akira in two parts, with the first three volumes of the six-volume manga making up the first film, due out next year.

An official release from the studio is expected later this week.

Read more: Vulture Exclusive: The Hughes Brothers to Direct the Akira Remake — Vulture http://nymag.com/daily/entertainment/2010/02/akira_remake_hughes_bros.html#ixzz0iFtd57ue

Sunday, December 13, 2009

Gary Whitta Discusses Live-Action Akira’s Early Drafts

Originally posted on 2009-12-13 04:14 EST @ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-12-13/gary-whitta-discusses-live-action-akira-early-drafts

Otomo gave notes on preliminary drafts that adapted all 6 manga volumes

The ComingSoon.net reports on Sunday on an update that screenwriter Gary Whitta gave regarding his work on Warner Brothers and Appian Way’s planned live-action film adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira manga. Whitta noted that he had not worked on the project “for about a year,” but added his “very, very preliminary” script drafts adapted all six volumes of the manga. (The 1988 Akira anime film was made while the original 1982-1990 manga was still being serialized.)

Whitta acknowledged that he never had a formal meeting with Otomo, but said that the staff did receive notes from Otomo “and kept in touch.” Whitta is no longer being kept up-to-date on the project, and according to ComingSoon.net, the film’s script is now being handled by Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby.

Actor Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Aviator) is producing the planned live-action film adaptation through his Appian Way production company. Mad Chance producer Andrew Lazar (Jonah Hex, Space Cowboys) said at Comic-Con International in August that the live-action project “is a real priority project for Warner Brothers” but is not likely to go into production before the third quarter of 2010 for a 2011 release.

Update: More background information added.

Gary Whitta Provides Akira Update

Originally posted on December 13, 2009 @ http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=61594

Gary Whitta Provides Akira Update
Source: Silas Lesnick

Speaking this morning from an early press day for The Book of Eli, screenwriter Gary Whitta was asked about his contributions to an early draft of the live-action Akira film, a project that, since it’s original announcement, has met with varying degrees of progress, including rumors that it would be split into two films and that work on the project had stopped altogether.

“…I haven’t worked on it for about a year,” says Whitta, “…The version I worked on was about going back to the source and doing the manga version. We were going to adapt the whole six-episode graphic novel.”

Of interest is the note that the project would encompass all six volumes of “Akira” creator Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga. The famous 1988 anime adaptation was based primarily on the first two volumes. Whitta also made mention of Otomo’s own (albeit slight) involvement:

“We got notes from [Otomo] and we kept in touch, but we never had a formal meeting or anything. The script I worked on was very, very preliminary. We did a couple of drafts of the script but, when I was there at least, it never got wrapped up to the point where I think he would get really hands on.”

The film now appears to be in the hands of screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby and it is unknown if they are starting from scratch or expanding on Whitta’s work.

“They don’t keep you in the loop after you’re done,” says Whitta, “…now I go on the internet to find out what’s happening with it like everyone else.”

Tuesday, July 28, 2009

Producer Lazar: Live-Action Akira is ‘Priority Project’

Originally posted on 2009-07-28 14:01 EDT @ http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-07-28/producer-lazar/live-action-akira-is-priority-project

“Not realistic to go before the third quarter of next year for a 2011 release”

Mad Chance producer Andrew Lazar (Jonah Hex, Space Cowboys) told the iFMagazine website at Comic-Con International last week that while the writers for the live-action film adaptation of the Akira manga are still working on a draft, “it is a real priority project for Warner Brothers.” He cautioned however, that if the proposed project is green-lit for production, it will not be soon. “Sometimes movies need an enormous amount of prep, like this one. It is not realistic to go before the third quarter of next year for a 2011 release.”

Lazar indicated that there is “a lot of interest from a variety of people” for possible directing duties. He also emphasized that he is “a very inclusive producer of underlying rights” and that the original manga creator Katsuhiro Otomo is an executive producer and consultant on the proposed live-action project.

The Hollywood Reporter and Variety entertainment trade periodicals both reported last year that Warner and Appian Way, the production company of actor Leonardo DiCaprio (Titanic, The Aviator), will adapt the Akira manga into two live-action films. Each film would cover three volumes of the renowned science-fiction manga about a governmental genetic project and a teenager’s attempt to save a fellow biker gang member. Otomo directed his own animated film adaptation that premiered on July 16, 1988 — the same day that the story has the fictional Tokyo being destroyed.

Source: iFMagazine via AnimeVice

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