BREAKING MOVIE/TV NEWS

Thursday, October 20, 2011

Warners "Akira" Starts In 2012

Warner Bros. has confirmed that Jaume Collet-Serra ("Orphan") will direct a $90 million live-action adaptation of Katsuhito Otomo's graphic novel series "Akira", for an early 2012 start.

Producers are Leonardo DiCaprio, Jennifer Davisson Killoran and Andrew Lazar. "Akira" creator Otomo will executive produce.

The 'cyberpunk' science fiction film will be set in the futuristic, post-war city of 'New Manhattan', (as opposed to 'New Tokyo') circa 2019, focusing on 'Shotaro Kaneda', a gang member, who tries to stop 'Tetsuo Shima' from releasing 'Akira'.

In the graphic novels, 'Akira', as a young boy in the 1980's, developed 'psionic', god-like abilities when serving as a test subject for secret government ESP experiments. When he lost control of this power in 1988, the ensuing blast annihilated Tokyo in a horrifying explosion.

After the apocalyptic event, Akira was subjected to every test known to modern science, then placed within a 'cryonic' chamber underneath the 'Neo-Tokyo Olympic Stadium'.

"Akira" explores psychological and philosophical themes, including the nature of corruption and the growth from childhood to maturity for the human race.

Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Akira"...