American re-make of akira??? - Be afraid

[Arthur Dent]

Norrington Adapting Akira

Stephen Norrington (Blade) will write and direct an adaptation of the classic Japanese SF anime Akira for Warner Brothers, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Jon Peters will produce.

Akira, released in 1988, was based on a Japanese manga and centers on a group of motorcycle-riding teens in a a post-apocalyptic Tokyo who must stop one of their members from running amok after he acquires telekinetic powers in a government experiment known as Akira, the trade paper reported.

Norrington told the Reporter that his draft "preserves the tone, the visual and the epic scope of the original, whilst telling a somewhat more accessible story [to Western audiences]."

I just can't see the pussies in Hollywood doing this story justice.

[Skitchr4u]

so, because we didn't understand the story (or were confused by it) they are going to ruin the best anime movie of all time? are they gonna put a cute little deer in it? mabye add a bunny rabbit so that kids will go see it? dumb bastards

[Arthur Dent]

More likely, they'll drop the rape scene, tone down the violence, drop all the cultural references, drop the cult leader stuff, and dumb down the explanations of the psychic stuff, especially the dream sequences. And probably give the street kids nice, wholesome families. And I'll bet noone dies either.

[AdolescentMasturbator]

But, but the kids will love it.

[Sephiroth]

This can go either way really. If they decide to follow the original Manga, it will win a Oscar award guarenteed. If they follow the movie (which they probably will, because it is that franchise that is making this movie possible), it will be the worst film I've ever had the pleasure of spitting at. I was always kinda pissed at the way the original anime was handled (Obtain the original Manga, Take the semi-good parts, drop all the excellent parts, mix in 3/4 gallon of stupid religious symbolism, throw in some meaningless explosions and action sequences that were never in the manga to begin with, stir vigourously and let sit for 10 years), so maybe they'll learn from their mistakes this time around, but probably not. I fully expect a word-for-word recreation of the anime.

In any case, I'll probably end up seeing it anyway just so I can hear someone scream :

<span style='font-size:17pt;line-height:100%'>TESTSUOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO !!!!!!!!!</span>

for 10 minutes. Comedy Gold. {}<font color="EEEEEE">



Edited By Sephiroth on April 15 2002 at 6:28

[IkeaBoy]

If they decide to follow the original Manga, it will win a Oscar award guarenteed.

You mean the same Oscars that thought that Jimmy Newtron Boy Genius was a better film than Final Fantasy and Waking Life (neither of which I particularly liked) and that Gosford Park was better written than Memento?

As for the movie, I never read the original Manga but it would indefinitly be dumbed down for the American audience.



Edited By IkeaBoy on April 15 2002 at 10:11

[Arthur Dent]

Seph, I was thinking about buying the Manga, but it's in 5 volumes and each one is over $20. Is it really worth the price?

[AdolescentMasturbator]

I suppose you could get the manga in digital format just to "sample" it of course. Seph and me wouldn't know anything about acquiring said manga however.

[Sir O]

I've never read the manga, and now Seph's comments leave me not only wanting to read it, but have me doubting whether or not Akira is the quintessential Anime.

Reverting to the original topic, no American should ever even attempt to re-make Akira. Will it be live actors or animation? I'm almost afraid to ask...

[Sephiroth]

Seph, I was thinking about buying the Manga, but it's in 5 volumes and each one is over $20. Is it really worth the price?

Tough question really. I say if you were a HUGE fan of the anime, go back and read the Manga books (I say books because each volume of the Manga was 200+ pages). You'll be amazed at the things they left out (case in Point, the Akira movie ends about halfway into the Manga. The books go on for about another 2 volumes after Testsuo becomes the Akira). The only thing I give the Anime credit for is the amount of things they were able to compress into the movie, but what decided to put into the movie is also what angered me. They dropped entire characters, events, places, and other GREAT stuff to focus primarily on explostions, physic powers, weird religious symbolism and other "Fanservice" aspects.

Oh, and this movie will be LIVE ACTION. Yes, I am flabbergasted as well.

[Arthur Dent]

Oh, and this movie will be LIVE ACTION. Yes, I am flabbergasted as well.

Suck factor increasing.

I'm guessing all american cast with American names. Tetsuo will be replaced with Steve.
And the kid will be played by Halle Joe or the kid who played Anakin.
PG-13 max.