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Thor: Ragnarok's Taika Waititi in Talks to Direct Live-Action Akira

posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
2 films planned, each covering 3 volumes of Katsuhiro Otomo's original manga

Entertainment news website Deadline reported on Tuesday that Warner Brothers is negotiating with Taika Waititi (Thor: Ragnarok, Boy, Hunt for the Wilderpeople) to direct its live-action Akira film project.

Deadline describes the film's story as taking place "in the rebuilt New Manhattan where a leader of a biker gang saves his friend from a medical experiment." Deadline also describes the project as spanning two films, with each film tackling three volumes Katsuhiro Ōtomo's original manga. Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar is producing the film alongside film Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson's Appian Way Productions.

Jeff Sneider, editor-in-chief of The Tracking Board website, reported in March that Warner Brothers was in talks to purusue Jordan Peele (Get Out) as the film's director. Sneider also reported that Warner Brothers had also met with Daniel Espinosa (Life) and David F. Sandberg (Lights Out) as possible directors.

In June 2016, Sneider reported that Warner Brothers was pursuing Justin Lin (Fast & Furious, Star Trek Beyond), though he emphasized at the time that the news was not confirmed.

Mad Max film series director George Miller said in October 2015 that he had turned down an offer to work on the project.

In October 2011, Warner officially green-lit the film for director Jaume Collett-Serra (Unknown, Orphan, House of Wax). However, The Hollywood Reporter then posted that production had shut down in January 2012, before filming would have started. Warner had stalled the project to revise the script so it would be less costly. Collett-Serra said in February 2014 that he was still working on the project, but he then told the Collider website that there was no progress on the project as of March 2015.

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news tip


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