Akira, the groundbreaking anime, gets live-action treatment.

[negator]

"LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - The anime classic "Akira" is getting the live-action big screen treatment courtesy of Leonardo DiCaprio and a first-time feature filmmaker."

http://www.reuters.com/article/entertainmentNews/idUSN2141398420080221

an interesting article about anime's giants:
http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/12.09/anime.html?pg=1&topic=anime&topic_set=

 

[titsrock]

I think this is a dumb idea. This is like "colorizing" "Casablanca"...some master art works, like "Akira," should be left alone...

 

[Christmas_Ape]

Yeah, I don't like this at all.

 

[negator]

i also say :thumbs down:

i wouldn't mind seeing a remastered re-launch of the original. when i saw it on the big screen (1988!) it was in a '30's era theater with a stain on the screen and two speakers, and it blew my little mind. akira 88 would really be nice in a modern theater with thx and what-not.

 

[squallumz]

i like anime, at least the good ones, but i never liked akira too much. i get a lot of flack for that but i just didnt like it. but interesting nonetheless. i wonder what its gonna look like.. especially with dicrapio doing it.

 

[Christmas_Ape]

If anything, they should turn it into a 3-D feature!

 

[panbox29]

I've been fan of Akira since I first saw it on video in 1992 when Siskel & Ebert reviewed it for it's Criteron Collection laserdisc release. I bought the Streamline videotape and was totally blown away. It was the first real anime film I ever saw. I mean, it's on the order of 2001: a space odyssey in terms of scope and intensity.
This remake, if it goes through, is a bad idea. I know they think that with CGI they can do anything, but it won't be the same. They'll probably change the scene from being Neo Tokyo to Neo New York, and instead of Japanese character, all Americain. That's Hollywood. I wouldn't go see a remake of this, anymore than a remake of "2001", "Blade Runner", or "Terminator".

 

[Roughneck]

To me -

"Classic, ground breaking anime" shall for ever be: Macross.

cheers,

 

[tartanterrier]

I still think Akira is still the best anime film going - I really dont know how good the life version will be.It'll be a hard task I think

 

[squallumz]

To me -

"Classic, ground breaking anime" shall for ever be: Macross.

cheers,

yeah, i liked macross better than akira. good choice.

 

[BlueBalls]

I've never heard of Akira. So why did i even bother posting You Might ask, my answer to you is, I dont know.

 

[negator]

To me -

"Classic, ground breaking anime" shall for ever be: Macross.

cheers,

i knew it as robotech, and we watched it with a special bong that transformed into a robot, and then an airplane. good times at the dorm.

still, akira was a seminal work that will always be seen as a dividing line. the day anime grew up.

 

[BNF]

Star Blazers / Spaceship Yamamoto (1974-1981) kinda tops all of them for me.

But, before these, shows like Johnny Sako and His Robot, Spectreman and the like blew me away when they were on TV.

 

[nothingandless]

i think it'll be bad, but who knows?
i will see it, though.

anybody else looking forward to the new astroboy movie?

 

[calpoon]

terrible. Hollywoodizing never works. I like dicaprio, don't get me wrong, he's a great actor, but this movie is not about great acting, and it certaintly doesn't need a big name to sell it. what it really needs is to have nothing to do with America.

This Could be done... many manga (japanese comic books) are adapted into live action films in japan, because they are regarded the same way as pulp serials and dime novels used to be in America. they aren't regarded the same way that comic books are in America.

I'm not trying to diss on America here, I love American movies and there are great directors and actors that are great at what they do- but what they do is American culture. And while some Americans can understand and appreciate foreign culture, they can't recreate it because they don't live it. When they try to tranfer it they have to take out all the cultural references and "Americanize" it which then makes it not make sense because it's out of context, or else they just eliminate them all together only sticking with the core ideas which do translate, but ultimately rings hollow because they took out all the substance.

I mean its not to say that it never happens. there are a few visonaries like sergio leon who made italian style movies, but was able to authentically capture American storytelling as well in a way that was instantly relatable and appreciated by both- but those are few and far between.

 

[McNab]

I wonder if the new movie holds to the scope of the original, with the many characters, many plots, themes and huge action sequences. Will the new version even be set in Tokyo? Or will it be American-ized?

I'll avoid it unless I hear anything else.

 

[darkwarrior3007]

I was never crazy about Akira. I thought it was okay but it didn't wow me. When it comes to classic Anime I tend to like Ghost in the Shell (the movie) and Ninja Scroll. As for an Akira live action movie, I think it's a bad idea. I can already see being Americanized. If they leave exactly like the original then it might be okay but fat chance that's going to happen.

 

[om3ga]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!

:eek:

 

[Christmas_Ape]

If it was a live-action treatment of Akira Lane, then I would be interested!

 

[D-rock]

i like anime, at least the good ones, but i never liked akira too much. i get a lot of flack for that but i just didnt like it. but interesting nonetheless. i wonder what its gonna look like.. especially with dicrapio doing it.

I never really liked Akira either. Compared to a lot of other anime out there it just never seemed as good.