Leonardo DiCaprio, Taika Waititi’s Live Action Akira Movie: Decade-Old Concept Art Shows What Could Have Been

SUMMARY

• Warner Bros. acquired the rights to create a live action version of the 1988 Akira anime film, however, it has been stuck in development hell since then.
• Taika Waiti took over the responsibility of a director in 2019, but schedule conflict prevented him from working on it.
• In 2014, concept art for the movie has been revealed but with no news of a confirmed release date.

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The 1988 Akira anime film was released, and it soon became a cult classic and has been hailed as a pivotal film in the Japanese cyberpunk genre. The movie focuses on Kaneda, the leader of a bike gang who gets involved in a complex military matter due to his friend who can suddenly use telekinetic abilities.

The movie earned over $49 million despite being produced on a budget of $5.7 million. After garnering popularity from all over the world, it finally came under the watchful eyes of Warner Bros for a live-action remake; however, it has been more than two decades, and most fans have given up hope.

Warner Bros.’ Remake of Akira was Doomed from the Very Beginning

Akira | Credits: TMS Entertainment

More than a decade after the release of Akira, Warner Bros. acquired the rights in order to create a live action remake of the movie. However, the project has been cursed from the very beginning. More than two decades have passed since the acquisition of the rights, but there has not been any update on the live-action.

In fact, at least five different directors and ten writers have been attached to the pre-production of the film for over two decades. After several attempts, the movie was greenlit in 2011, and filming was supposed to begin in 2012, but the studio still went through various directors, none of whom were attached to the production for too long.

In 2019, Taika Waititi was officially confirmed to direct the film, and the release date was set for May 2021. However, with the advent of Waititi’s new projects, the filming was stalled again. Warner Bros. ultimately removed Akira from its release schedule and the movie got permanently stuck in development hell.

Leonardo DiCaprio is one of the producers of the movie, and he is more than open to producing the live-action version for streaming platforms. Unfortunately, the stagnant state of the series is bound to hurt him more than the directors or other staff. DiCaprio had stated the movie had a big influence on him, but the film’s future is still in the dark.

Concept Art for the Stalled Akira Remake

Akira Concept Art | Credits: Warner Bros.

In 2014, James Clyne posted the concept art he had created for the Akira live-action by Warner Bros. Clyne was brought on board when Ruairi Robinson was involved with the project between 2006-2009. After Robinson, several other directors have been signed on for the movie, only for them to eventually leave.

To date, Clyne’s concept art is the only solid piece that fans have for the mythical Warner Bros. movie that might or might not be released. Some of the pictures showcase the cyberpunk genre of the film with a futuristic setting, while another image portrays the destruction and violence in the movie. The concept art for three characters, Kaneda, Travis, and Cyrus, has also been revealed.

Akira Concept Art | Credits: Warner Bros.

Akira Concept Art: Kaneda, Travis, Cyrus | Credits: Warner Bros.

While these concept art pictures are extremely interesting and created with great detail in mind, the movie is still stuck in development hell, and no one knows if it will ever complete production.

The 1988 Akira anime movie is available to stream on Crunchyroll.

Written by Aaheli Pradhan

Articles Published: 450

Aaheli is an anime content writer at FandomeWire. With four years of experience under her belt, she is a living, breathing encyclopedia for anime and manga. She believes in living a slow life, surrounded by incomplete art projects and her beloved cat.