No More Akira Live Action

This may come as a good news for some, and as a good news for others, but trust me, it is a good news – the live action movie adaptation of Akira is as good as dead. Almost literally. And the reason behind this is not the fact that director Ruairi Robinson, who was assigned to the project, left the crew at one point, nor the fact that Leonardo DiCaprio was part of the cast. Well, these, too, are reasons enough, but there is more.

While the movie would have been the first “proper” directorial debut for Robinson (who also has some kind of background in short titles, plus an Oscar nomination in 2001), it may have also been his mega-lolfail debut. It is well known that even stuff like Watchmen, which seems to be something “smart” in the American sub-culture, or any other movie adaptations, prior to or post Watchmen (I'm talking here comics related stuff), were obviously lacking content. Too much pew pew, too little introspection or character development. Sure, they were flashy enough, much gore, explosions, crushing blows and the like, but... nothing more.

Warner Bros. seem to have learned their lesson when deciding to cancel Akira. Thank God. Even after this impressive amount of years since its release, this little piece of art still holds dear to me. And to many others. By making an “americanized” live action out of it, with all that Hollywood “politically correctness” bullshit, would have been an offense to every smart human being out there. Even worse, casting Leonardo DiCaprio in it. Let him stick with his Titanic gay stuff, and let us treasure our precioussss just the way it is.

Thanks Bloody Disgusting for the scoop.