Feb 20, 2008 by The MovieWeb Team

Leonardo DiCaprio and Warner Bros. Teaming Up for Akira Franchise

Live Action Akira Franchise
Live Action Akira Franchise
Leonardo DiCaprio and Warner Bros. are set to team up for a series of live-action motion pictures based on anime artist, Katsuhiro Otomo's masterpiece, Akira . According to The Hollywood Reporter, Gary Whitta has been hired to write the adaptation, which DiCaprio will produce through his Appian Way production company. The films are being fast tracked for release in summer 2009. Each feature will be comprised of three of the books in Otomo's series.

Akira set in a neon-lit futuristic post-nuclear war Tokyo in 2019 where a teen biker gang member is subjected to a government experiment which unleashes his latent powers. The gang's leader must find a way to stop the ensuing swathe of destruction. The anime classic originated in 1988 as manga and then was made into an animated film by Katsuhiro Otoma, which is considered by many fans of Japanese animation to be among the finest works in the genre.

Warner Bros has the rights to Akira up until several years ago when they allowed the rights to lapse. They regained them after a spirited bidding war. Warner's executives are describing the double-bill as Blade Runner meets City Of God.

Warner Bros. and Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way has not yet announced when production for Akira is scheduled to begin.

Akira comes to theaters in 2013 and stars Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Ken Watanabe. The film is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.


Sources: The Hollywood Reporter

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Comments (14)

  1. AnnoyingFilmCritic

    This is very good news! Akira deserves the big budget and live action treatment. Surprised it took so long to come to fruition. With Di Caprio producing, he'll snag other top level talent to this much anticipated project.

    Damn, now I gotta go back and watch my dvd of it...it's been years.

    4 years agoby @annoyingfilmcriticFlag

  2. killahmovie24

    sounds better then DBZ huh?

    4 years agoby @killahmovie24Flag

  3. The Kwisatz Haderach

    damn AKIRA live action now thats pretty damn cool.

    4 years agoby @the-kwisatz-haderachFlag

  4. Err

    i have come to appreciate leo as an actor now that hes doing adult roles, but aside from gilbert grape i can think of anything i liked him in before the beach, except maybe basketball diaries.

    nevertheless, a live action akira movie would have phenomenal potential, and leo has the money and resources to pull it off, so respect to him for wanting to do it.

    4 years agoby @err2005Flag

  5. Space101

    Should be good...

    4 years agoby @space101Flag

  6. Phatlightning

    very nice

    4 years agoby @sxers2k1Flag

  7. Marcusx

    im not sure leo is acting in it...it just says him and his company are helping produce it. but who gives a sh*t leo kicks ass in everythin he has ever been in

    4 years agoby @marcusxFlag

  8. Joe Postman

    I have mixed feelings about leo acting but if he is like he was in romeo and juliet then it might be good. Really i dont care cause i love akira this will be pretty awsome.

    4 years agoby @postmanFlag

  9. VAL0

    i love this Anime film very much
    but i think this is something they should just leave alone

    4 years agoby @val0Flag

  10. The Narrator: The Better Man

    coolio

    4 years agoby @narratorFlag

  11. artkid04

    cool

    4 years agoby @artkid04Flag

  12. ed_wood

    Very cool.

    4 years agoby @ed-woodFlag

  13. Brian

    Nice!

    4 years agoby @brianFlag

  14. Marcusx

    holy sh*t! awesome as f*ck i love this anime flick and leo kicks ass!
    live action omg im gonna sh*t myself

    4 years agoby @marcusxFlag

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