After months of speculation and false starts, the live-action adaptation of Akira has finally been given the green light by Warner Brothers, according to Variety. The project will be helmed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown), while Garrett Hedlund (TRON: Legacy) is currently being eyed for the lead role of Kaneda, although nothing is confirmed yet.
The original Akira was a Japanese manga that was later adapted as a hugely successful anime film that revolved around a cyberpunk dystopia called "Neo Tokyo"; however, this Americanized version will change the name of the city to "New Manhattan." Fans of the original should also expect character names to be changed as well, especially Kaneda.
With filming tentatively ready to begin as early as February, Akira is budgeted at $90 million, which was brought down from over $100 million early on in production.
[via Variety]
