Sci-Fi WB creating live-action Akira - Part 1

[Infinity9999x]

I think the Kaneda/Tetsuo relationship is a great emotional anchor in the anime. Kaneda has sorta always been taking care of Tetsuo since they were kids and once Tetsuo gets his powers, it's his shot at independence.

At any rate, I still don't believe this film is that big of a risk. And I don't believe WB was trying to whitewash the film either. They've seen previous attempts like that fail and saw the success of their own Crazy Rich Asians. My guess though is that Taika likely wanted Japanese unknowns and WB wanted to expand it to all Asians, but probably court more known talent. I'm not saying known as in A-List, but folks you've seen before like a Ryan Potter or Remy Hii. That probably also meant skewing older in the casting and I'm willing to bet Taika wanted a stricter age range (Remy is in his 30s and still playing a high schooler lol).

We don’t get any of that backstory until the last 10mins of the film. Not the best way to get audiences invested in your two main characters. They barely act like friends through the entire film, and I had no reason to care about them trying to kill one another.

They definitely need to improve that in a film or limited series adaptation.

 

[Da-Scribe]

We don’t get any of that backstory until the last 10mins of the film. Not the best way to get audiences invested in your two main characters. They barely act like friends through the entire film, and I had no reason to care about them trying to kill one another.

They definitely need to improve that in a film or limited series adaptation.

Eh, I disagree.

What I appreciate about Akira, beyond its visuals, is its clear ties to Japan's cultural identity post-WWII. It's steeped in their history and the characters embody different aspects of that. For me, those motifs allow it to transcend a typical Hollywood blockbuster. Like I get it, Tetsuo and Kaneda are friends. Tetsuo is clearly more reckless and has a chip on his shoulder about Kaneda telling him what to do. Now let's get on with the story. Getting the background on it at the end works better for me because after being so immersed in the visual and thematic elements of this world, you're hit with a really familiar emotional punch that brings it all home.

The Akira anime, to me, is less about who these individual characters are and more about what they represent in a grander scheme.

 

[Infinity9999x]

Eh, I disagree.

What I appreciate about Akira, beyond its visuals, is its clear ties to Japan's cultural identity post-WWII. It's steeped in their history and the characters embody different aspects of that. For me, those motifs allow it to transcend a typical Hollywood blockbuster. Like I get it, Tetsuo and Kaneda are friends. Tetsuo is clearly more reckless and has a chip on his shoulder about Kaneda telling him what to do. Now let's get on with the story. Getting the background on it at the end works better for me because after being so immersed in the visual and thematic elements of this world, you're hit with a really familiar emotional punch that brings it all home.

The Akira anime, to me, is less about who these individual characters are and more about what they represent in a grander scheme.

The sociology aspect of it all is interesting, but what sells a film, especially one that’s going to be as spectacle dominant as this is going to be characters. Western audiences aren’t going to have the same cultural shorthand as those raised in Japanese culture.

 

[chamber-music]

I think AoT would work better a live action tv series. Networks like HBO, Netflix and amazon are probably the only ones that could do it justice though.

 

[Da-Scribe]

The sociology aspect of it all is interesting, but what sells a film, especially one that’s going to be as spectacle dominant as this is going to be characters. Western audiences aren’t going to have the same cultural shorthand as those raised in Japanese culture.

That's fair if you want to talk the best way to sell the film. That doesn't necessarily make it an improvement. I'm just talking about what I like about Akira as a piece of art not what will make WB the most money.

 

[Infinity9999x]

That's fair if you want to talk the best way to sell the film. That doesn't necessarily make it an improvement. I'm just talking about what I like about Akira as a piece of art not what will make WB the most money.

True. Though I did find the sparse characterization a drawback in my enjoyment of the film. Themes are all well and good, but if I can’t connect to the characters, it’s just not interesting to me.

 

[Da-Scribe]

True. Though I did find the sparse characterization a drawback in my enjoyment of the film. Themes are all well and good, but if I can’t connect to the characters, it’s just not interesting to me.

Strokes and folks and all that. I get where you're coming from.

 

[Infinity9999x]

Strokes and folks and all that. I get where you're coming from.

Yeah. I still respect it for its influence and incredible art direction though. There’s no denying that.

 

[Pennywise]

There’s A Casting Notice For Taika Waititi’s Akira, Is It Not On Hold After All?

I definitely think it’s still on hold, just Production Weekly didn’t get the memo.

 

[dark_b]

how was Taika hired so fast after Akira? Was he in secret working with marvel for thor 4 while also working on Akira?
Thor 4 to star Natalie Portman as Lady Thor, is titled Thor: Love and Thunder

 

[TheVileOne]

Just a guess, but maybe Taika Waititi had a back-up plan or Plan B in case Akira went south.

 

[TheVileOne]

Deadline reported the same thing.



The Exodus "I can't get this film financed with a bunch of unknown Arab actors" excuse, sounds like.

Honestly, if they weren't willing to do it right, probably best to just let this one die.

No they didn't. Jacob's claiming WB "DIDN'T WANT TO WHITEWASH."

 

[MbJ]

No they didn't.

If you say so.

 

[Roose Bolton]

Could be that wanted “name” Asian actors, though I think that creates a headache of a different sort because most popular Asian actors seem to be above the age group that would be ideal for this story (teens).

 

[Da-Scribe]

Could be that wanted “name” Asian actors, though I think that creates a headache of a different sort because most popular Asian actors seem to be above the age group that would be ideal for this story (teens).

That's what I think was the case. And my guess is WB was probably fine with casting 30-somethings who could sorta pass, guys like Ludi Lin and Remy Hii, but Taika probs had other ideas.

 

[TheVileOne]

Could be that wanted “name” Asian actors, though I think that creates a headache of a different sort because most popular Asian actors seem to be above the age group that would be ideal for this story (teens).

But what does that mean? None of the above aforementioned names are what I would call "name" Asian actors. So who would they get to play teenagers or adolescents who are "name" Asian actors? Chow Yun Fat and Jackie Chan? I know who Lewis Tan is, but that doesn't make him an Asian name actor.

WB probably wanted "name" actors.

 

[TheVileOne]

That's what I think was the case. And my guess is WB was probably fine with casting 30-somethings who could sorta pass, guys like Ludi Lin and Remy Hii, but Taika probs had other ideas.

Never heard of Remy Hii before this post. This explanation makes no sense. I doubt those guys were on WB's radar and they were telling Taika, "These are the guys you have to cast to get the movie done."

 

[Roose Bolton]

But what does that mean? None of the above aforementioned names are what I would call "name" Asian actors. So who would they get to play teenagers or adolescents who are "name" Asian actors? Chow Yun Fat and Jackie Chan? I know who Lewis Tan is, but that doesn't make him an Asian name actor.

WB probably wanted "name" actors.

I would say that WB probably didn’t want them to be teenagers or adolescents. They possibly wanted them to be adults with the likes of Henry Goulding, Sung Kang or Lee Byung-hun in the main roles with someone like Ken Watanabe or Hiroyuki Sanada playing the Colonel.

 

[TheVileOne]

I would say that WB probably didn’t want them to be teenagers or adolescents. They possibly wanted them to be adults with the likes of Henry Goulding, Sung Kang or Lee Byung-hun in the main roles with someone like Ken Watanabe or Hiroyuki Sanada playing the Colonel.

Here's why I believe that makes no sense. Dramatically aging up the characters so that they're "adults" now just to have an excuse cast those actors, who aren't proven draws or box office commodities, it's not justified to force a proven filmmaker like Taika Waititi to make those sorts of changes.

 

[Roose Bolton]

Here's why I believe that makes no sense. Dramatically aging up the characters so that they're "adults" now just to have an excuse cast those actors, who aren't proven draws or box office commodities, it's not justified to force a proven filmmaker like Taika Waititi to make those sorts of changes.

WB has done worse for less justifiable reasons, and often to directors more “proven” than Taika Waititi.

 

[TheVileOne]

WB has done worse for less justifiable reasons, and often to directors more “proven” than Taika Waititi.

As insane as Hollywood gets, I can't see the logic in telling Waititi, "Taika, we need Kaneda and Tetsuo to be in their 30s so we can cast Henry Golding, and then we can give this a $150 million budget."

 

[Roose Bolton]

As insane as Hollywood gets, I can't see the logic in telling Waititi, "Taika, we need Kaneda and Tetsuo to be in their 30s so we can cast Henry Golding, and then we can give this a $150 million budget."

These same people wanted to remove Ryuk from a Death Note movie, when arguably he’s the biggest visual draw to that IP. They hired a company that makes trailers to recut Suicide Squad last minute. They can be pretty ****ing stupid.

 

[TheVileOne]

These same people wanted to remove Ryuk from a Death Note movie, when arguably he’s the biggest visual draw to that IP. They hired a company that makes trailers to recut Suicide Squad last minute. They can be pretty ****ing stupid.

It's far more likely they wanted Taika to make the main characters white or American. Just like in Death Note.

 

[Roose Bolton]

It's far more likely they wanted Taika to make the main characters white or American. Just like in Death Note.

Why do you make the distinction between white and American? I can’t imagine any scenario where they cast entirely Japanese born actors.

 

[Da-Scribe]

Never heard of Remy Hii before this post. This explanation makes no sense. I doubt those guys were on WB's radar and they were telling Taika, "These are the guys you have to cast to get the movie done."

I’ve already explained that I don’t think they meant “names” as in box office draws (celebs like that don’t really exist anymore). More that they wanted recognizable faces or existing talent rather than first timers.

I don’t see the logic in WB wanting white actors for this when they just launched a huge, all Asian franchise.