Akira Hollywood r***: “Zac Efron Cast as Kaneda”;Morgan Freeman Circling Colonel Role

[ane-san]

Hollywood’s pending r*** of Akira, set to be a PG-13 action flick set in New York, is rumoured to be casting actor Zac Efron, star of such dark and gritty classics as High School Musical, in the lead role of hooligan biker Kaneda.Morgan Freeman may play Neo-Tokyo Neo-New York military man Colonel Shikishima.


The rumoured casting decision in detail:
Another rumor which is making the tracking board rounds today is that Zac Efron has apparently been offered the lead role in Albert Hughes’ upcoming live-action adaptation of the popular anime/Katsuhiro Otomo’s six-volume manga Akira. I’m not able to confirm the offer, but one source tells me Efron is in talks, while another says that it is “far from a done deal.”
[...]
Last we heard, producer Andrew Lazar said that Hughes is was busy “conceptualizing the movie with a bunch of visual artists” and working with a new screenwriter, Albert Torres (Henry Poole Is Here), to put his stamp on Akira.
That draft was due in September. Hughes has also talked about the film being PG-13 and the idea that he might only direct the first of two planned films. (One adapting the first three manga volumes, and the second volumes four through six.)
The previous screenplay was set in a post-apocalyptic “New Manhattan” and will feature Akira’s famous red motorcycle. The original Katsuhiro Otomo anime was set in a futuristic and post-war city, Neo-Tokyo, in 2019. As for the casting, here is an excerpt from a previous posting by Russ Fischer:
No cast has ever publicly revealed to be attached. The involvement of Appian Way led many to suspect that DiCaprio would star as the teen biker Kaneda, despite being demonstrably too old for the part, but the actor publicly denied any involvement beyond producing duties.
Joseph Gordon-Levitt was rumored to be in mind for Tetsuo, the friend of Kaneda whose psychic powers are awakened, setting of a cataclysmic chain of destructive events in Neo-Tokyo. He also denied any attachment.
It seems the red motorcycle is all that will survive Hollywood’s “vision” for the adaptation.

source: sankaku & bloody disgusting

 

[spikier]

no WAY!!!!, i pray that he doesn't get the role. he belongs on "high school music" only!! (i enjoyed 'HSM' btw). akira is a very rare anime to come across, and i don't won't Hollywood screwing it up like they did "dragon ball" :scared:.

 

[gapridey]

Leave Akira alone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[EzikialRage]

Maybe if they get some big name actors in it then it won't be crap. If Samuel L. Jackson can play Nick Fury in a Iron Man movie, D. B. Sweeney can play Terry Fitzgerald in Spawn Movie and Michael Clarke Duncan can play the King Pin in a Daredevil movie then surely Morgan Freeman can play Colonel Shikishima in a Akira movie.

 

[Batzarro]

Oh, boy this is going to be like Airbender, DragonBall. Hollywood has run out of ideas is going to japan for ideas and putting their stupid stamp on it. I fear it won't the last of hollywood taking anime and ruining it.

 

[dewey cox]

WTF NOOOOOOO. I think there's a conspiracy by people in Hollywood to r*** and destroy legendary games and manga from Japan. Double Dragon, Super Mario Bros, Dragon Ball, Tekken, The King Of Fighters, Street Fighter are some of the victims of Hollywood's onslaught (maybe more?). Their vision f***s up sweet nostalgic memories of die hard fans. But when it comes to American comics and games turned live action, they stick to the original story 90% or even more. I bet its going to be flop. :scared:

 

[Hojo01]

Yes they deserve to die and I hope they burn in hell!

 

[gyoza ramen & a beer]

I'm not familiar with Akira specifically, or manga in general, but what stands out about this is the business-as-usual cultural imperialism of the "people in Hollywood".

Are we really meant to understand there wasn't a single teen-hearthrob Asian actor suitable for this role such that they had to cast one of their typical, usual (let's just leave it at that) choices?

For all the lip-service "Hollywood" pays to concepts of diversity, egalitarianism, open-ness, equality-of-opportunity and other pillars of its carefully-crafted public committment to liberal, humanist values, it is every bit as much a crude, sexist, endlessly exploitative, deeply cynical and ethnically-based, closed-shop operation as the Mafia is.

Just with prettier people (well, some of them), better production values and, like, really cool special-effects...

 

[jisatsu]

I'm sure nerds will watch this. I don't care if hollywood makes a movie base on manga or anime... remember the movie blood? No one cares about that movie and easily forgotten. JUST DON'T MAKE A REMAKE OF BATTLE ROYALE!!!!!!!

 

[akiramezu1]

oh you've got to be kidding me, Hollywood is gonna ruin a great classic anime, for christ sakes

 

[xater]

oh you've got to be kidding me, Hollywood is gonna ruin a great classic anime, for christ sakes

Nope. If anything, it's gonna ruin the manga, as it is going to be an adaptation of it, not a remake of the anime. And actually is supposed to be 2 movies.

Hate to be the devil's advocate but if someone is to blame is the Japanese creators for selling the rights to Hollywood, it is them who sold out...

:sadomaso:

 

[Xcaliber9999]

Hollywood again ...*sigh* they never learn from their mistakes

Well all the film producer doesn't give a damn about classics or story all they want is money

 

[ane-san]

Update ^^ˇ

found out that starz is making live aciton of noir also...well, I`d like to see how thats gonna look like :evil:


http://www.mania.com/topics/noir-anime-set-for-starz-live-action-project_article_126357.html

 

[Xcaliber9999]

:joker: I can't even finding proper words to describe my feelings right now about all these garbage movies Hollywood trying to make.......

Seriously why they don't just admit that they ran out of all ideas and should properly beg to Japan to let them use their manga/anime stories ......pathetic >_>

 

[HighlightReel]

Please let this be the ONLY time Zac Efron's face is plastered anywhere on my favorite site!

 

[Sephiro_01]

Just in order to help people figure out what's gonna happen ... Dragon Ball Evolution (calling that Dragon Ball... Gonna have a heart attack!!); Street Fighter (yeah a fighting game became a comedy show!!) ...
:notagain:

 

[fireface]

Oh dear - they are going to r*** my much loved Akira with a shitty american live-action remake

I'm just gonna have to avoid any trailers or news about it and deny it exists (like Terminator 3 ^_^)
:nooo:

 

[hypemx7]

Ah hahaha!

I wonder when the Asian market will catch up to this and start making remakes of famous Marvel/DC heroes
with Asian counter parts; think an Asian Superman or a Spiderman.

 

[xater]

andalaugh:
Catch up? That happened decades ago!!!

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It was not set in New York, Spidey was a motorcycle racer who got his powers from an alien ship, piloted a huge robot and was not played by a Caucasian... the show pretty much invented the sentai thing that still is going strong.

:sadomaso:
​

 

[EzikialRage]

Ah hahaha!

I wonder when the Asian market will catch up to this and start making remakes of famous Marvel/DC heroes
with Asian counter parts; think an Asian Superman or a Spiderman.

I know its not live action but there is a Iron Man anime,Wolverine anime and a Spawn(not DC/Marvel) Manga. Besides the Spiderman there are probably others out there