‘Akira’: Artist Shares Teaser Poster for Leonardo DiCaprio’s Planned Live-Action Adaptation

One of the more elusive properties that Hollywood has wanted to adapt for Western audiences is Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira. The property’s live-action adaptation has been in the works for a long time, and passed through many hands.

Former God of War and current Marvel visual artist Charlie Wen revealed his take on one of the now canceled Akira live-action adaptations, and it’s quite a teaser poster.

Charlie Wen revealed his teaser poster concept to his Facebook and Instagram pages, and revealed some of the inner workings behind one of the many takes on a live-action Akira, “After my #godofwar days, I left to work on some animated and live-action films that brought out the geek in me. AKIRA was one of those! This was a teaser poster I did for it. Super talented director, [Rurairi Robinson] was director at the time, with [Leonardo DiCaprio] producing it.”

Wen mentions how a live-action Akira has been in development limbo for the last 15 years or so. This corroborates with reports of its rocky production over the years. This version in particular is most likely from around 2008 with Rurairi Robinson joining the project to direct with then screenwriter Gary Whitta. Leonardo DiCaprio was also attached to produce the project at this time, but the project never quite got off the ground.

Robinson wanted to adapt Akira into two live-action films, and the film was planned to be set in a futuristic Manhattan owned by Japan. It would’ve been renamed to Neo Tokyo to reflect the original’s setting, and would have cast a mix of both Western and Japanese actors. But Robinson left the project around 2009, and the film passed through several other directors, writers, and concepts over the years.

With all the trouble Akira has had with its live-action adaptation, many fans undoubtedly would prefer if it did not exist at all. But with the release of Alita: Battle Angel being a success with fans are its lengthy development period, perhaps the same luck could be had here? The last fans had heard of a live-action Akira was in 2017, so perhaps it’s still off the table.

Originally created by Katsuhiro Otomo for Kodansha’s Young Magazine in 1982, Akira later inspired the equally as prolific 1988 animated film, which Otomo himself directed. The story is set in a dystopian world following the bleak close of World War III. A gang leader known as Kaneda finds himself embroiled in a massive government operation when his best friend begins exhibiting powerful telekinetic gifts. To save his friend, Kaneda must get to the bottom of Neo Tokyo’s espers, but the lead quickly learns he is way in over his head.

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