Leonardo DiCaprio’s Interest in Live-Action Akira Sparks Buzz: What We Know So Far
3 min read
Mike Marsland/WireImage | Toro
Leonardo DiCaprio has expressed a great desire to adapt the legendary Japanese animation film Akira into a live-action feature. This decision follows a spike of successful anime adaptations, as well as DiCaprio’s own fondness for the source material. Zack Snyder, a well-known director who enjoys comic books, has long expressed his enthusiasm for Akira and its influence on his work. He expressed interest in directing a live-action version of the anime, but the project has encountered setbacks. Failures in the history of anime adaptations in Hollywood have included films such as Dragonball Evolution, which received considerable condemnation.
Despite the obstacles, the live-action One Piece adaptation’s popularity has opened the door for more study into popular anime serials, with a One Punch Man version currently in the works. In the middle of this shifting landscape, Collider reports that Leonardo DiCaprio has expressed a significant interest in developing a live-action adaptation of Akira for OTT, with Netflix being a top contender. He is notable because of his love for anime and his previous attempt to launch an Akira film project in 2019. The 1988 picture Akira, based on Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1982 manga of the same name, received critical praise and is regarded as a cinematic masterpiece with a commendable 92 per cent approval rating.
leonardo dicaprio is gonna be in the Akira movie.
— Wook Jin Clark (@wookjinclark) April 2, 2019
i can see it. pic.twitter.com/le5F2iHGYi
Is Leonardo DiCaprio Interested In Adapting Akira Into A Live-Action Film?
Hollywood actor Leonardo DiCaprio is now open to creating a film based on the Japanese anime film ‘Akira,’ which has had a massive influence on even Hollywood directors, most notably Zack Snyder, who has frequently referred to it as one of his favourite films. The former DCEU director had long wanted to create a live-action ‘Akira’ film or series, but the project is currently in development hell, or, in other words, festering in the black hole of countless abandoned ideas. Hollywood has never been excellent at creating anime adaptations and has mainly avoided anime since their critically lambasted film ‘Dragonball Evolution,’ which was panned by everyone. However, since the successful live-action adaptation of the popular anime ‘One Piece’, Hollywood has been open to making live-action adaptations of popular anime serials, with a live-action version of ‘One Punch Man’ currently in the works.
According to Collider, DiCaprio has been receptive to developing a live-action remake of ‘Akira’ for OTT platforms, with Netflix being the most discussed option, after that success and the Hollywood megastar’s own interest in the film. Snyder, a known comic book aficionado, spoke of the influence ‘Akira’ had on him when he first entered the DC universe with ‘The Man of Steel’ in 2013. DiCaprio has also identified ‘Akira’ as a major influence and had begun development on ‘Akira’ film in 2019, though the project was eventually cancelled after the film’s director, Taika Waititi, quit the project. Based on Katsuhiro Otomo’s 1982 manga of the same name, the 1988 picture ‘Akira’ received amazing reviews and is now considered an all-time masterpiece, with a staggering 92 per cent positive score. The plot centres on a cyberpunk biker gang caught up in a government intrigue. Set in a dystopian future, the plot follows a group of psychics in the metropolis of ‘Neo-Tokyo’ as they attempt to stop authorities from resurrecting an unknown strong entity known as Akira. The cyberpunk story delves into topics such as solitude, corruption, authoritarianism, technology, and others.
