Warner Bros Studios have confirmed that the live-action remake of the cult-classic anime Akira will open worldwide in theatres on May 21, 2021. Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok) will direct the film and Leonardo DiCaprio will produce it.
Birthed in Japan in 1982 by Katsuhiro Ôtomo, it became a sensation, and Ôtomo wrote and directed the anime version in 1988. The story takes place in Tokyo, in a near-future cyberpunk dystopia overwhelmed by poverty, crime, and massive, brightly lit billboards. Tetsuo, the central character, is a young guy who’s a victim of scientific experiences aiming at developing psychic powers in us.
Talking about the cult manga, Waititi shared: “My mom took me to see Akira in the cinema in 1989, or whenever it came out in New Zealand, and it was a huge turning point in my life for what I imagined animation to be and realising what it could be.”
“So I read the comic books, and I was always more curious as to what a broader adaptation of the books might look like instead of a remake of the film, which doesn’t need to be remade. But I do feel there could be a cool live-action adaptation of the books”.
The movie will be in theatres at the same time as John Wick 4.
#Peace.Love.Akira
