Henrick Vartanian
Warner Bros. has shut down the production of “Akira,” (reported by Hollywood Reporter).
The studio says no “V’rroom” just yet, ordering the producers and director Jaume Collet-Serra off their bikes, so to speak, sending them off to work out issues with the script.
Production insiders report that WB still wants to make this live-action flick, budgeted around the $90 million mark. And if we’ve seen anything, with huge money thrown at such fan-favorites come huge actors (and their cavalry) throwing themselves at it. Simply put, casting becomes a headache. But a $90 mil budget needs big stars to guarantee the film’s success. Kristen Stewart may star alongside Garrett Hedlund (“Tron”). That’s a pairing we’d pay to see.
“Akira,” the original anime, based on the graphic 6-volume novel by Katsuhiro Otomo, has had a huge cult following and been compared to legendary Sci-Fi films, such as “Blade Runner.” Of course, in true Hollywood fashion, the American version takes place in Manhattan, rather than Tokyo.
The Americanized project started pretty bumpy at Warners. The studio had the rights to the movie, then let go, only to grab them again in a 2008 bidding war. Three directors with a knack for this sorta’ stuff have been attached to the project: Irish boy genius, Ruairi Robinson (“Fifty Percent Grey,” “Blinky”) urban-apocalypto Albert Hughes (“The Book of Eli” and “Dead Presidents”), and now Hollywood’s new principe of thrills Collet-Serra (“Unknown,” “Orphan”). Let’s not even get into the long list of writers who came and went. All the signs of trouble are here, and most times, that kind of a mess finds an obvious presence on the screen. Then again, nothing a few extra explosions, added sound effects, and countless edits can’t smooth over; right? Maybe.
However, the undying obsession with AKIRA makes shelving the production an impossible thought to bare. WB will be smart to see its investment through (not that they need our advice). AKIRA comes with an already massive following, and that to Hollywood means one thing: mon, mon, mon, monnnnney!