Forum - View topicNEWS: Live-Action Akira Film's Plot Listed by Casting Call
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darkhorse333
Posts: 1 |
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1. So to those that are arguing that this movie is "racist" because the lack of Japanese cast or whatever points you may find that give you this idea, I have a few things to tell you. Making movies is a business. The number of Japanese, let alone Asian actors that have any brand recognition are few and far between. To cast an all Asian cast would mean that no one would go see it unless it was a true masterpiece. Since the probability of that occurring is nowhere near high enough, no studio exec would fund the project in and hold true to that condition.
2. The setting being Manhattan instead of Tokyo is sad, because I that landscape would be cool especially done with today's tech, but the actors would stand out and it would be weird. 3. The solution to all these issues is to NOT CALL IT AKIRA, but instead just use the plot and "base" it on the manga/movie. Like how Magnificent Seven was just a western version of Seven Samurai. But that's just my opinion. Honestly, I see this movie getting a limited release. If it does get a full release, marketing won't become active until 1 to 2 weeks prior to the preview, which will be too late. |
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enurtsol
 Posts: 14795 |
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Hey, you brought up an interesting point. When's the last time many people here have gone to the theater for a Hollywood movie starring teens? Probably Harry Potter? (But they started young.) Most teens can't act to support a "tentpole" film. 
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mdo7
 Posts: 6280 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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You 2 are both correct. It looks like these same group of people have forgotten about Toei's Spiderman. Now how is that any different from US doing Akira? Also I like to add this is just like how people complain about US remaking Asian film, but yet I don't hear any complaint from these same group of people about how Asia is doing the same thing to American film, yes Asia can remake film that include American one also. I'll give you the timeline, and the link with the article/info on the remake: 2008: China/HK remake Cellular into Connected. This was the film that started the Asian remake American film fad. 2008: South Korea remake Phone booth, Cell Phone. 2009: Japan remake it's first American film, Sideways. 2010: China remake 2 more American films, What Women Want, and High School Musical. 2010: Japan remake a classic French film, Elevators to the Gallows. 2010: Japan/South Korea remake Ghost. 2010: Japan did a semi-remake, semi-sequel to Paranormal Activity. Future remake being done by Asia: Japan will remake An Affair to Remember, Working Girls, and South Korea will remake Breakfast at Tiffanys. Hm, so while people in US complain about Hollywood remaking Asian film. Why aren't these same group of people doing the same thing when Asia remake American film. That's what I find racist, and it's a sign that there are too many weeaboo, and Pro-Asian supremacist throwing "racism" and "whitewashing" when Asia is sort of doing the same thing. Oh I like to add Japan have it's own version of Saturday Night Live, and China's has it own version of The Office. |
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chibiyusa
 Posts: 10 |
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What are you talking about? Hollywood movies cast relative unknowns in lead roles all the time. And there are plenty of talented and Asian-American actors out there and given the chance, they can easily bring in the crowds. I mean, we wouldn't have a third Harold and Kumar movie if this wasn't the case. Those movies are pretty fun, but I'd hardly call them masterpieces. I'm not saying the whole cast needs to be Asian but I'm saying that it's a bit weird to retain the Asian names with white actors while at the same time having the one Asian actor play the bad guy. I mean, it would not be out of place to cast a non white actor because last I checked Asians compromised at least 10% of the population in Manhattan and non-Hispanic Whites less than 50%.
Asians can't be American too? Or at the very least they can't be cast in roles that have Asian names. I mean, Asian-Americans are a pretty significant demographic, especially in Manhattan so it would not at all be out of place to have one as a main hero, especially if his name is still going to be distinctly Japanese. I have no problem with remakes, just as long as they respect the source material. It's definitely not a new trend in global cinema and I highly doubt it started in the 2000s. Also from what I understand you have an issue with Asian remakes of American films not casting... white people? Caucasians are not even a significant population in most Asian countries. What exactly is the point you are trying to make? Last edited by chibiyusa on Thu Dec 01, 2011 3:40 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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GATSU
Posts: 15346 |
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Zac: Yeah, because Last Samurai totally bombed being set in Japan. Oh, wait!
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mdo7
Posts: 6280 Location: Katy, Texas, USA |
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I never said that Asian can't be American. I too am Asian-Americans, it just that ever since Hollywood remake The Ring and subsequently, a lot of Asian films. A lot of people bash and insult Hollywood just for remaking Asian films. But yet I don't hear that same amount of complaints when Asia remake American films. When did I ever said Asian remakes of American films not casting white people. I'm complaining why people hate American remake of Asian films, but yet they seem to defend Asian remake of American films. Look I'm all for a Hong Kong remake of Heat if they ever do it and I would love to see Andy Lau playing Robert Deniro's characters for that remake, and I would love to see Japan remaking The Godfather with Sonny Chiba playing a Japanese equivalent of Vito Corleone. |
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SailorDeath
Posts: 24 |
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I'll leave this here.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jafd97yJFOI |
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prime_pm
 Posts: 2339 Location: Your Mother's Bedroom |
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Don't forget Big B which was a Malaysian remake of Four Brothers which was loosely based on The Sons of Katie Elder.
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configspace
Posts: 3717 |
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@md07
The problem isn't the fact that there's an adaptation. What you cited does not address the issue because those have changed characters that correspond with the setting, and some of which have changed titles as well. Are the asian characters in those films addressing each other as "Hello, Mr. David Atkinson" or some such? As mentioned that's the problem here. The solution is to either stop calling this Akira or change the characters, since the story itself is already pretty different. |
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thebaron
Posts: 149 |
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Hollywood has put in the blender and fixed the story for moronic americans. |
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LargeView
Posts: 17 |
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The funny thing about people here that are claiming there is nothing wrong with casting whites as the leads is the fact that it doesn't seem to occur to them that there are such people known as "Asian Americans" who live in the United States. I'm not lying. Look it up. They exist. And these "Asian Americans" are the ones that should be given chances
And like them and other Americans of color they are incredibly held back when it comes to leading roles in Hollywood movies. Statistic after statistic show that whites get leading roles even when either the role was originally another ethnicity or when the roles do not specify race. It is clear that the bigwigs in Hollywood practice racial discrimination and limit actors of color to largely stereotypical roles while their white counterparts get the quality lead roles and are protagonists in movies. And anyone who claims that they are no known Asian American actors, ask yourself how the white actors that are known in Hollywood get there? They were given opportunities to rise up the ranks. Actors of color are rarely ever given opportunities. This here is such a project that could give Asian Americans lead roles, show off what they can do and rise up the ranks. There is no reason not to consider Asian Americans for the lead roles especially when it is being set in Manhattan which has a notable Asian presence. For example, that is where New York's Chinatown is located. The rest of this post is in specific reply to mdo7.
Prove that you are Asian American. As far as your post goes you didn't show any hypocrisy on the part of the people that are against this Hollywood movie's casting. In fact, you proved a lot of ignorance on your part. Like someone said afterward, the point you are trying to allude to about the Asian remakes not having whites as leads is moot because the majority of Asian countries don't have a significant non-Asian population unlike the United States which does have a significant nonwhite population. Now, Toei's Spider-Man series was only made for the Japanese audiences. It never was officially released to the west until only recently when marvel started providing on streaming for the series and this was more or less 30 years after the show was aired. There was already an American live action Spider-Man series by the time Toei created theirs which pretty much changed everything about Spider-Man except the costume and powers. Now on to the list of remakes you put up: First of all, provide another link for the South Korean movie you claim is a remake of "Phone Booth". All I found was that one link you posted but every other piece of information I have found on the internet including reviews I saw mention nothing of it being a remake of "Phone Booth". For all we know, that site you posted could be mistaken. Paranormal Activity Tokyo Night is not a "semi-remake, semi-sequel". That doesn't even make any sense. It is a canonical sequel to the main Paranormal Activity franchise. As far as the list of remakes are concerned it's interesting that you leave out a big piece of information in all of this. The majority of all those Asian remakes of Western properties are CO-PRODUCED by the Western companies and in many instances are spearheaded by the Western companies. It even says as much in some of those links you provided. The owners of Saturday Night Live have been trying for years to extend the SNL brand internationally as they have also tried to make a SNL Spain and SNL Italy. BBC is producing the Chinese The Office. Disney produced the China High School Musical film. Paramount produced the Asian remake of Ghost. Fox produced the Japanese Sideways. In fact, in regards to the Japanese remake of Sideways that movie actually takes place in California (not Japan) like the original film. With the exception of the four leads everyone in the movie is white. Another interesting thing to point out is that in every instance of those Asian remakes, the advertisement and the remake's own credits make it quite clear that they are remakes of American films. Unlike many Hollywood remakes of Asian films where they try to hide the fact that they are remakes (e.g. in the not so good Hollywood remake of Infernal Affairs, you have to wait a couple of minutes during the end credits for it to give credit that it's a remake). Here's an example with the trailer to the Chinese remake of "What Women Want": http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhHqflh2kU4&feature=related Finally this goes back to what I was saying before at the beginning of my post. This is about ASIAN AMERICANS. This has nothing to do with Asian countries and what they do over there. There are Asian Americans in the United States but they, and other people of color in Hollywood, are discriminated against and not given lead roles and are limited to stereotypical nonsense while whites get all the opportunities even if the roles don't necessarily call for whites. Incidents like this Hollywood Akira movie are prime examples of this and this needs to stop. |
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firecrouch
Posts: 125 |
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Is it possible these names are just placeholders for now. And as someone who hasn't read the manga or seen the film for years can someone please explain to me from what's based on this synopsis how much this plot differs and gets whitewashed, besides Kaneda being a bar owner and the story taking place in New York?
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chibiyusa
Posts: 10 |
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I never said I had an issue with remakes, only with white-washing.
It's being white-washed because Asian-American actors weren't even considered for these roles. Give this interview of George Takei a read, it might help you understand the point I'm trying to make. I mean, it's still called Akira and retains the Japanese names for the main characters. Even if those names are placeholders, it does feel sort of off to have a movie called Akira but not have any Asian-American actors in the lead roles. I more inclined to think the names aren't placeholders because from what little I remember from the animated movie, Ky Reed's character was originally someone named Kei who I don't think had a last name... Um, Tetsuo and Kaneda were part of some bike gang. I don't recall Akira ever controlling Tetsuo either. Lady Miyako seems to be a character from the manga. |
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firecrouch
Posts: 125 |
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Although the plot synopsis doesn't mention it I still think it's possible the main characters could be quite heavily involved in a biker gang setup.
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MarzGurl
 Posts: 142 Location: San Antonio, Texas |
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Miyako was in the movie, as well, albeit with a somewhat downplayed roll. She was the religious street protest organizer. |
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