Fans of Katsuhiro Otomo's 'Akira' will be pleased to hear that the long rumoured live-action Hollywood remake has officially been shelved. The chosen director, Ruairi Robinson ('The Silent City'), has apparently left the project, and with him has gone any hope that the film will see the light of day.
'Akira' originated in 1988 as a manga and then as an animated film co-written and directed by Otomo (available from Amazon.co.uk). The story was set in a neon-lit futuristic post-nuclear war "New Tokyo" in 2019 where a teen biker gang member is subjected to a government experiment which unleashes his latent powers. The gang's leader must find a way to stop the ensuing swathe of destruction.
The remake was due to be produced by Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way and Warner Bros. Pictures, who are also hopeful of bringing a live-action 'Ninja Scroll' to the big screen.
