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Akira live-action adaptation returns, with Taika Waititi to helm

Started by Mister Six, April 03, 2019, 03:48:00 PM

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Mister Six

According to Deadline, everyone's favourite Kiwi director (since Peter Jackson went shit) will helm the live-action adaptation of Akira, with filming to take place in California thanks to a newly offered $18.5 million tax incentive.

Apparently Waititi has been linked to this for years, although this is the first I've heard of it. Years ago, he told IGN: "Yeah. actually Asian teenagers would be the way to do it for me and probably no, not, like no name, I mean sort of unfound, untapped talent. Yeah, I'd probably want to take it a bit back more towards the books."

In post-Black Panther/Crazy Rich Asians Hollywood, and with Thor: Ragnarok under his belt, that actually sounds plausible. This is early days, of course, and it could still falter, but it looks more likely than ever before that we might actually have an Asian-led, US-set, live-action Akira film. But will it actually be good? Is there an audience for this, or is it going to be another Alita: Battle Angel? And does anyone on CaB care?

Blumf

Quote from: Mister Six on April 03, 2019, 03:48:00 PM
"...Yeah, I'd probably want to take it a bit back more towards the books."

Still think the best route would be a big budget TV serial boxset thing for Netflix or HBO or whatever the cool kids are. You'd never do the full story justice in a film (as the original anime rightly didn't try), but just doing a live action remake of the anime is pointless. Play their cards right, and you could run on past the end of the books.

greenman

Does seem a bit of a strange leap considering he's only worked on comedic films before now but I'm guessing that his upcoming film playing Hitler as a childs "ethnically inaccurate" imaginary friend is probably going to have a more serious edge to it.

This being Hollywood I spose Akira being a long story isn't considered a negative as it opens up the potential for sequels so I could see this film being more the opening sections of the story rather than a slimed down attempt at a larger part of it as in the anime.


samadriel

I wish Hollywood were more open to the possibility of two-parters, because two hefty movies would be a decent fit for Akira.  If the Hobbit films had been split merely into two, I might have watched beyond the first one!   I suppose Infinity War/Endgame is a two-parter that might make Hollywood take notice, but the MCU blurs the idea of "sequel" beyond usefulness.

greenman

Quote from: samadriel on April 03, 2019, 08:21:19 PM
I wish Hollywood were more open to the possibility of two-parters, because two hefty movies would be a decent fit for Akira.  If the Hobbit films had been split merely into two, I might have watched beyond the first one!   I suppose Infinity War/Endgame is a two-parter that might make Hollywood take notice, but the MCU blurs the idea of "sequel" beyond usefulness.

Making that kind of investment in an unproven franchise is probably the issue, I think Dune would actually be very well suited to it as well.

chveik

Quote from: Mister Six on April 03, 2019, 03:48:00 PM
But will it actually be good?

of course not. Akira is a bit too complex (story and visually wise) for the Hollywood of today to make it work. does anyone remember Ghost in the Shell?

buzby

Quote from: chveik on April 03, 2019, 08:36:54 PM
of course not. Akira is a bit too complex (story and visually wise) for the Hollywood of today to make it work. does anyone remember Ghost in the Shell?
It will probably end up being a CGI-fest as well, at which point you may as well watch the anime version.

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: greenman on April 03, 2019, 05:48:38 PM
Does seem a bit of a strange leap considering he's only worked on comedic films before now but I'm guessing that his upcoming film playing Hitler as a childs "ethnically inaccurate" imaginary friend is probably going to have a more serious edge to it.

According to what Waititi said in an interview with Mark Kermode a while ago, there's still a lot of humour in it.

Nothing against Waititi, but I think that's an absolutely terrible choice.  But then I can't really think of anyone pulling it off successfully and, as chveik says Hollywood would just fuck it over regardless of who was making it.  Given the relatively poor showing of the GITS live-action film, the chances are they'll want to do Akira Marvel style.  Fucking hell.

Leave it alone.

samadriel

Quote from: Shit Good Nose on April 04, 2019, 09:20:48 AM
the chances are they'll want to do Akira Marvel style.  Fucking hell.
What, as part of a shared universe?  But there aren't any stories connected to Akira.  That's the only meaning I can take from 'Marvel style', given that Marvel don't have a house style (compare, say, Winter Soldier to Guardians of the Galaxy).

Moribunderast

Have been terrified of the long-rumoured and seemingly inevitable Hollywood live action Akira for a good 15 years or so. Love Waititi but do not want.

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: samadriel on April 04, 2019, 09:26:22 AM
What, as part of a shared universe?  But there aren't any stories connected to Akira.  That's the only meaning I can take from 'Marvel style', given that Marvel don't have a house style (compare, say, Winter Soldier to Guardians of the Galaxy).

Nonononono, I just meant that style and tone - all the self-knowing sly winks to the camera, the blinding CGI, the post/during credits stingers, the fucking Stan Lee cameos (I don't know who they could get to do a shit cameo in Akira) - given that's what generally brings in the dollars these days.


Admittedly this is predominantly a cynical view of my own as the continuing Marvel and Star Wars juggernauts bore me to tears.

alan nagsworth

Even if this film exceeds my expectations in its performances, its style and its visual aesthetic, there's no bastard way it could have a soundtrack that comes even remotely close to how utterly sublime the original is.

Imagine it. All guitars and synthwave, and that big fucking Prometheus BWOOAAAHHHHHH as a 1,000ft monster Tetsuo towers above the city, all made up of AirPods and Hoverboards, smashing government aircraft out of the skies as he swings his arms into a dab.

Claude the Racecar Driving Rockstar Super Sleuth

Quote from: greenman on April 03, 2019, 05:48:38 PM
Does seem a bit of a strange leap considering he's only worked on comedic films before now but I'm guessing that his upcoming film playing Hitler as a childs "ethnically inaccurate" imaginary friend is probably going to have a more serious edge to it.
That sounds like his whackiest film to date.

I don't know. I've liked all of Waititi's previous work that I've seen, but he seems like a very odd choice for this. Thor Ragnarok was good, but the parts of that that would transfer to this (i.e. the effects sequences) likely didn't require a great deal of input from him and the improv comedy stuff he did bring to it would be terribly out of place.

Sin Agog

I don't really like Akira.  Too much like one long chase movie.*  More looking forward to the Imaginary Freund.



*Geinoh Yamashirogumi's soundtrack's the best, of course.  Check out their demented earlier avant-folk album Osorezan as well if you haven't. https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=D5iLT7qalJc

QDRPHNC

I'm glad that they waited until I'm old enough to not really care very much any more.

greenman

I'd actually be more interested in seeing someone attempt a Nausicaa adaptation, as good as the Ghilbi film is it only really deals with the very start of the manga.

Spiteface

It can't be as shit as the half-arsed Ghost in the Shell movie.

If this is good, then... good.

If not, I still have the anime. And a boxset of all six volumes of the manga I've yet to read.

The anime is fantastic. The manga is genuinely God tier. The anime is like 5% of the manga.

Alberon

Quote from: The Boston Crab on April 04, 2019, 09:30:20 PM
The anime is fantastic. The manga is genuinely God tier. The anime is like 5% of the manga.

I remember when I first saw the anime on the big screen nearly thirty years ago at a theatre club screening at my local university. It absolutely blew me away and opened my eyes to what was possible. But the manga is even better.

For years I've dreaded a live screen adaptation. It never quite works. Neither Ghost in the Shell or even Alita Battle Angel reach their source material. I do wonder how they're going to tackle the final confrontation of the Akira manga/anime. That has a huge potential to go horribly wrong very easily.

momatt

Quote from: alan nagsworth on April 04, 2019, 06:18:08 PM
Imagine it. All guitars and synthwave, and that big fucking Prometheus BWOOAAAHHHHHH as a 1,000ft monster Tetsuo towers above the city, all made up of AirPods and Hoverboards, smashing government aircraft out of the skies as he swings his arms into a dab.

This sounds good!

VelourSpirit



mothman

I can envisage a future where Jojo Rabbit completely Trevorrows Waititi's career and neither gets made...

madhair60

Thor 3 was absolute Kent State Massacre tier. Difficult even to look at.


madhair60

It was the goo bubbling out of cinema's backchops. Pure arsecunt.

bgmnts

Actually watched What We Do in the Shadows today. Fuckin pissed it laughing.