Anyone who has been a manga/anime otaku long enough would have seen Akira - or at least heard of it. Hell, even my dad has watched it (and lusts for that hot red motorcycle) so shame on you if you call yourself “hardcore” and haven’t watched it!
I’m digressing. Why am I talking about Akira now, years after it first wowed audiences in theatres?
Well, because Akira is set to wow us again some time soon, but alas not in a good sense.
Leonardo DiCaprio of Titanic fame (seriously that was the one time he looked awesome <3) is reported to be producing the live-action Akira. Now that doesn’t seem too bad doesn’t it? I mean, even he can’t botch it up!
Nooooooooooo. You just lost that bet.
Two words: “New Manhattan”.
For God’s sake Hollywood! I know you love remaking and rehashing Japanese successes but this is really pushing it a little too far. New Manhattan peppered with characters like a guy who’s called Akira. How are you going to pull that of? For one, I can imagine a non-Asian actor playing the role. And if you change the name of the character, dude it totally loses the effect.
To give Tinseltown some credit, some (a small handful) of adaptations have done well in the box office and also with fans of the original e.g. The Ring is a better example. But I’m beginning to see a very sad trend here. Where’s the originality in script-writing and screenplay going? What’s worse, they can actually take a successful Japanese/Asian film and turn it into a total travesty.
Do not want. Really. Anime should, for the most part, stay animated only. I mean, look at the travesty of a DBZ live-action film!!!! I don’t care if it’s a “a city rebuilt by Japanese money” , I want Akira properly adapted. Why can’t you Americans Hollywood properly adapt something for once? PETER JACKSON DID IT (he’s a New Zealander, that explains it). WHY CAN’T YOU DO IT TOO?
What an insult to Akira this is.
Even Akira is hates Hollywood.
Ah, no. Peter Jackson didn’t do it. He gave it a good shot and while he did make a very pretty picture, he mangled a significant number of characters. I can why he left out some characters and scenes, but for the characters he did include why did he have to screw them over so?
Gimli was as old as Legolas and a much better fighter, in the movie he was comic-relief… bah!
Faramir was strong enough to resist the ring, but in the movie he gets seduced and almost destroys the world (by effectively giving the ring to the Nazgul).
Frodo was one of the strongest willed characters in the whole book, but he’s made out to be a whiney lil brat.
Saruman didn’t want to make an alliance with Mordor, he wanted the ring for himself…
Arwen has maybe a scene and a half in the books, she was not an action hero….
The elves ears are TOO SMALL!
@rekres: Your points are all valid but the question is, have you seen a better adaptation of recent years (2000 onwards)? That’s the problem with Hollywood. Even their best is half-assed.
They’re gonna do a Death Note…News came out and said that……
I can’t imagine how my L and Ryuk would be like…