AKIRA LIVE-ACTION GETS THE GO-AHEAD

TITANTIC STAR TO HELM PROJECT AS PRODUCER


Most people know of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira. If you haven’t read through the entirety of the six telephone-directory sized graphic novels then chances are you’ve seen the 1988 anime classic. Even if you’ve not got round to either you’re bound to be aware of Akira because it has become embedded into western pop culture in a way no other Japanese objet d’art has managed.


This is exactly why Warner Bros think they’re onto a winner. Reports have been floating about since 2005 of a live-action remake of Akira but not until last month have details begun to surface. They plan to make 2 films scheduled for release throughout 2009 with the first film being based on the initial 3 books and the second film based on the latter part of the seminal hexology. No cast has been assigned yet but the only big name being attached to the project so far being Leonardo Di Caprio, leaving fanboys across the forums rather perturbed. The director and the screenwriter seem worryingly green, with the former, an Irish man named Ruairi Robinson, having only made 2 short films in his entire career. Writer Gary Whitta used to be the editor in chief of PC Gamer Magazine and also penned quirky comic Death Jnr so it’s fair to say that at least he has his geek pedigree, if not a screen-writing one.


So far all this has divided fans 50/50, some think it’ll be great, some think it’ll be shit. However, there is one change that has been made that has everyone up in arms. The film is no longer set in Neo-Tokyo. They’ve changed it to New Manhattan. Leah Holmes, resident anime-expert at SFX Magazine points out a crucial problem, as she believes “some level of localisation will have to be done.” Otomo’s vision of a future Tokyo portrays a complete dissolution of order and structure – the breakdown of “the very thing that Japanese society thrives on. Disillusioned young people became delinquents - girls were mostly on the game, boys were mostly thugs, terrorism was rife - and the one-time enforcers of social structure were either non-existent (ie, the family unit) or utterly corrupt and amoral (the school system, the police, the military). This is a vision that would still be considered nightmarish to many Japanese. [But] these issues just don't hold the same kind of impact in the West.”


So what does it take to make an impact on Western audiences? Guns, gratuitous nudity and some good old-fashioned terrorism? Fighting it out in the red corner on behalf of comic book adaptations is Stan Lee Award Winner Mark Millar. With his 2003 comic Wanted having been adapted into a film (starring Angelina Jolie, James McAvoy and Morgan Freeman) due for release this June it’s no wonder he’s ready to go in to bat. “I went to see Wanted last weekend in L.A. and they’d made about 30% changes to it. I really felt they’re improved upon it and I walked out beaming. So Akira may just have a different flavour. It’s weird because we can be incredibly precious about the things we love.” As a creator Otomo has stuck by Akira through all it’s incarnations but it remains to be seen how involved he will be in the live-action version. However Mark assures us not to worry about the names already on board, proclaiming, “Leonardo Di Caprio is a smart motherfucker… It’s possible he’ll be the next Di Niro. And at least he’s a fanboy.”


Whenever discussing comic book adaptations the mind always finds itself uncomfortably drawn to the Alan Moore Problem. It’s a known fact that he wants nothing to do with Hollywood except take their cash and have no link to the end project, including his name. Mr. Moore likes to fall back on an old Raymond Chandler quotation that I’m sure keeps many a creator warm at night. “People said: ‘Raymond, don't you feel devastated by how Hollywood has destroyed your books?’ And he would take them into his study, point to the bookshelf and say, ‘There they are. Look, they're fine. The film has got nothing to do with my work. It has a coincidental title to a book I've done and they've given me a huge wedge of money. No problem with that.” One could take the same opinion with Akira and easily say that if you want to see it set in Japan then chances are it’s already there sat on your shelf.


Whatever the outcome Hollywood knows it has high standards to live up to, and is aware of the potential fanboy backlash. With the rise of blogging and sites like Ain’t It Cool, Hollywood producers know what they can and can’t fuck about with. However, it’s at times like this we do have to remind ourselves that the people making these films tend to be people like us. They grew up with up probably love it so much they want to introduce it to a new audience in a way they’ll understand. “It’s a generational thing,” Mark Millar points out. Like if Sam Raimi never grew up loving Spiderman he would never have reinvigorated interest in a character that could have remained niche to the comics industry. Now, kids everywhere idolise Spiderman. Its just testament to today’s society that we can now picture a world where kids will idolise the leader of a bike gang.

Rachael Williams

Originally published in Beat Happening Issue 1