Taika Waititi on Live-Action Akira Movie Rumours
Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi has confirmed that he has held ‘talks’ to direct a live-action adaptation of Akira.
Speaking to IGN, the director alternated between speaking of the project in the past and present tense while also explaining his approach to the material and casting the film.
Asked directly if he was going to direct the film, Waititi said: “I am -- that was more or less a rumour. There was, I mean, I was in talks to do that, for sure, and something that I was very passionate about -- am passionate about."
Warner Bros. has been developing a live-action movie of the Akira anime for years now, but Waititi said he's not interested in remaking that classic movie. He would want to adapt the original manga source material instead.
"I actually love the books. Love the movie, but I would not do a remake of the movie. I would do an adaptation of the books," Waititi said, adding, "And, yeah, so anyway there's been some chats [about him directing it]."
With Hollywood’s less than stellar track record when it comes to casting Anime adaptations – with accusations of whitewashing Asian roles directed at the recent Ghost in the Shell adaptation, Doctor Strange and the Hellboy reboot – Waititi has also been sharing his approach to casting: "Yeah. actually Asian teenagers would be the way to do it for me and probably no, not, like no name, I mean sort of unfound, untapped talent. Yeah, I'd probably want to take it a bit back more towards the books." Waititi later added that he meant "all" the books in the six-volume manga series.
So far, there is no release date for the live-action Akira movie.
