Trying to bring what is widely regarded as one of the greatest animes ever made into the real world is no easy task, so much so that after more than 20 years, Warner Bros. has finally given up on their hopes for an Akira movie, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
The history of the studio’s struggle to get the project off the ground now feels as epic as the source material. Based on the 1982 manga series by Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira was adapted into the now-iconic anime in 1988 and follows Shōtarō Kaneda as he attempts to rescue his best friend and fellow biker gang member, Tetsuo Shima, who has been captured by the government and experimented on to awaken his psychic abilities. The transformation eventually leads to a battle that tears the futuristic world of Neo Tokyo apart.
Warner Bros. acquired the rights to adapt the story in 2002. Since then, a handful of directors and writers have either been approached or taken on the project only to abandon what feels like a borderline unfilmable endeavor. Blade director Stephen Norrington was the first to accept the gig, immediately making changes by depicting Kaneda and Tetsuo as brothers. Unfortunately, he didn’t get very far and left the project, likely due to the fallout from the box-office failure he helmed before it – The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen.
From there, writers like Rogue One’s Gary Whitta, followed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Black Adam, The Shallows, Carry On), stepped in and out, trying to bring Akira to life. Nevertheless, by 2012, the studio continued to move forward, even forming a cast that included Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Ken Watanabe, and Helena Bonham Carter, before plans collapsed once again.
By 2017, more potential directors were rumored to be in discussions or approached about taking on what was quickly becoming a cursed project. George Miller, Christopher Nolan, Jordan Peele (who pays homage to the anime in Nope with that now-iconic bike skid), David Sandberg, and Daniel Espinosa were all reportedly on the list before Warner Bros. finally made a deal with Taika Waititi.
The daring filmmaker made considerable progress with it, even attempting to secure an all-Japanese cast. Sadly, however, development began to slow down again, with Waititi focusing on other projects, including his Oscar-winning Jojo Rabbit. In 2020, the director effectively confirmed it was off the table, saying, “I think eventually it will happen, I’m just not sure if I’ll be doing it.” Now, with the rights out in the wild once more, whatever Waititi had planned, we’re certainly never going to see it.
So what now? Well, with the rights available for competing studios to get a hold of, someone else could try to take on what Warner Bros. couldn’t accomplish in over two decades. We’ll be sure to keep an eye out for whether someone dares and, if so, how long before they end up screaming “Tetsuo!” to the heavens for a story that might be best staying as is.
Never mind, though. At least there are plenty more anime to watch. In fact, here’s a list of essential viewing from 2025 you should watch right now.
