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Talk that Zac Efron is in Talks for a Role in the "Akira" Adaptation
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Column by Scott Green
Slash Film has heard Zac Efron may tapped for a lead role in the live action, American adaptation of Akira. The chatter that Slash Film has picked up includes one source saying that parties are in talks, while another says “far from a done deal.”
Back in June, producer Andrew Lazar told Collider that PG13 movie was being planned
Albert Hughes is directing the film, and he’s off conceptualizing the movie with a bunch of visual artists, and we’ve just hired a new writer, Albert Torres, to work with Albert Hughes…he’s [seeming to mean Hughes] putting his stamp on Akira.
In Akira, Katsuhiro Otomo presented a vision of Tokyo destroyed by war, rebuilt, and now ready to explode under the pressure of its internal strife. The movie's clashing biker gangs and heady psychic visions became an early testament to the violent, mature side of anime when the film was brought to North America in 1989.
The anime movie is currently available in North America on Blu-ray via Bandai. The manga, which was started before and finished after the anime, is available through Kodansha. The first volume of that new Kodansha release of the manga is reviewed here.
Efron has previously been said to be involved with anime/manga adaptation Death Note, though the project was "not on the front burner," and Full Metal Panic!, which was similarly "likely not going to happen."
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Me, me, me!
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At something that will never be more than just a rumor.
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This is meaningless chatter that will never come to fruition.
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The public demands it!!!! We need more Disney kid movies
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Sushi.
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Please make a good film again Menace is a classic, Dead Prez was really solid, From Hell was watchable, American Pimp is among my favorite docs, and Book of Eli was a waste of alot of quality talent.
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I think I watched 17 again and thought he did a good Matt Perry imitation, I think he could pull off the Kaneda role. I think he has an anime look, and letting him act to the back rows could be great.
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FUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOUFUCK YOU
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I don't have a problem with Efron in the movie, i do have a big problem with it being PG-13.
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And now I have just outed myself for actually referring to a motherfucker as "bishonen."
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Just because he's a pinup kid doesn't mean he can't act. I've never seen a movie he was in but I've heard he's not bad.
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oh HELL no
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Is why do Japanese animators make all their characters round-eyed anglo? That has never made sense to me.
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to adapt it themselves? why not do an OVA off the manga?
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U people are on crack
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hope that's an april's fool joke even if it not april's fool.right? right?
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hope that's an april's fool joke even if it not april's fool.right? right?
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They arent going to keep it al Japanese! They might make it actually appeal to Americans beyond the tiny anime fanboy niche!!! Oh the horror!!!!
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And he hit that shit out of the fucking park.
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.........I don't know what the fuck that means either.
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I guess that's growth for this fucking collection of mouthbreathers.
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The style and setting alone were perfect! But can it be adapted well to the silver screen...
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And do it pretty fucking impressively. It has the potential to be fucking amazing.
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no wait I mean.
Nooooooooooooooooooo! -
Satisfied? -
I do have some reservations and I'd rather see Efron do other larger/darker/mature films first to prove he's worthy and work out the pretty boy/tweeny-Disney image but I think he's more capable then people give him credit for... though he'd obviously need to push himself more then he's ever had to with all the "safe" stuff he's done so far.
I'm much, much more concerned about the "adaptation" of the material and how it's going to be handled... That'll have more to do with it's success then casting Efron. -
Seems like a good choice if you're going an anglo route.
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...the next Brando, but it's still being directed by the guys that already turned a great graphic novel into shitty Hollywood garbage. Akira needs to be the hands of an a-lister.
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Nov 05, 2010 1:50:39 PM CDT
Anyone who justifies this should be banned from the site
by industrykiller!
If you dont have a problem with this you're fucking idiocy astounds and it's clear you dont have the vaguest concept of cinema or what makes it work, so why the fuck are you here? Just get off hte fucking site and go read perez hilton or some shit.
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The original anime wasn't PG-13, there's some fucked up shit in that film. Thanks but no thanks, I'll spend my money elsewhere. I have zero interest in this now. There isn't enough weed on the planet to make a Zac Efron Akira watchable.
I'll leave this to the kiddies, who sadly won't know any better that a watered down and bastardized version of a 20 year old story isn't cool and edgy. -
You would be better off eating some shrooms. It would probably make for better viewing.
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The Astronaut's Wife and the Revenge of Kitty Galore. If this was being helmed by a great producer then....maybe, but Andrew Lazar plus the Hughes Brothers tells me that the Efron casting is just for looks rather than something inspired that we don't immediately recognize a la Ledger as Joker. This movie is going to be famously awful. Call it off now.
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was not a carbon copy of the source material so I am not going to be against this because it is not a by the book adaptation. Which story would you do? The anime or the comic too. The story is 25 years old so can still be updated and still keep the same contextual elements. Choosing Efron does seem to be chopping the head off this thing before it starts though. Too adults for the tweens and an actor too tween for adults. Personally I hope they make a decent stab at localizing the story and using a few US cues to replace those used in the story ie corruption change to privatisation and outsourcing etc. All you kids moaning about it not being in Japan are reading from a script....
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...at the box office.
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...only sorrow. This will make me never watch another movie again. That's it I'm done. This is the death nel of the medium as far as I'm concerned. Well I guess I got a lotta reading to do. bye yall.
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What the fuck? Are they trying to insult the fans of the manga and the anime? They are doing a bang up job if so.
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bishonen...lol
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reminded me just how absolutely perfect the animation is in that movie. I honestly don't think any other animation comes close to it.
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I'm amazed at how moronic this discussion is... I'll go back to not reading talk backs now.
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direct this now!!!
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looking for intelligent discourse in a talkback? now who's the moron
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Zac Efron find the one black guy in Neo Tokyo... and punch him?
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These boards are bi-polar. People get worked up into a frenzy about things; then the imaginary tick boxes they made do not get ticked and they get in a terminal depression and spout bile. You can count down - 5 4 3 2...1 HER COMES THE HATE TRAIN!!!! The best most seam to be able to do is put a boring cast together of people that played a similar part in a similar film or an eralier version , or a personal hero like Bruce Cambell for every role. If I ever hear "action beats" "acting chops" or "story arc" again it will be too soon.
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I like Efron, just need to get him some good material to work with. I don't want a Japanese cast because I don't think highly of the Japanese acting I have seen and I'm a fan of foreign film. Korea is where it's at, not Japan.
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Nov 05, 2010 2:36:40 PM CDT
Harry Tell Yoko to pull the doughnut out of your fat ass
by wilford_brimleys_diabetes_rage
Instead of the news that MGM has filed bankruptcy..we get this shit i wont be happy until Zac Efron stars in the remake of "Crusing"
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I never read the talkbacks before, but I thought I'd see if anyone was going to have some thoughtful things to say about this. I was like a child wandering into a movie theatre in the middle of the show.
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'nuff said.
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So say we all.
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nothing else needs to be said!
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Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo, please not my beloved Akira, this guys involvement will change into something its not. I've always had my doubts about this project, this news means its fucked for sure. Its dead to me now.
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I didnt say it would be a good idea. It will probably be extremely BAD but people here just lazily fit into HATE here. Put some other reasons up. Stop saying Otomo should direct, I am sure that language age and carreer would stop that. personally I think that the Hughes are wrong for this and the cast as it stands with one person sounds very bad. I imagine it will turn into some kind of Harry Potter but in the near future story. No giant Tetsuo or larger socio-economic elements included. But for F CKS sake put some effort into communication rather than "This will be the suxxor. The film is dead to me" as most people do.
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And directing? Seriously, get over High School Musical. Your kids have already forgotten about it. Efron is a decent actor. This could be a hell of an opportunity for him to break out of that image everyone's got of him.
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Hahaha. Just because people get into a frenzy about some thing does not mean they are passionate about it or have an understanding of it. I am at work at the moment so I can comment. By the way tonight I will have a drink with friends and go back to my girlfriend - so sorry no cellar dweller here! A personal attack does not counter my point about the level of comment here or my views that I posted. Apart from Efron what is wrong - why is Efron wrong, who would be right, why are the producers wrong? Why dont people post an opinion rather than a single line gut reaction?
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What a horrible fuck up this would be.
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if Tron Legacy makes any kind of serious money they'll cast that Garath Headlump guy in this.
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is up for the part of Kyle Rayner in Green Lantern 2... you know this to be perfect casting!
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Nov 05, 2010 2:55:28 PM CDT
Only the Wachowski Bros can pull it of, as much as I hate to say
by codename
And even then, they could only do Akira at 60%.
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Did you not read my post???? I shall leave forever. Sorry. You have won a moral victory. I will not post again. Personal insults will always win... Good bye cruel world.
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come on in, all are welcome, just check your brain at the door
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but this one is something special.
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I would like to see the 2 directors that made City of God direct this. They are good with Ensemble casts and get them to act very well. They can deal with a complex multi layered plot and mutli stand story. A good director for this does not need to have an FX back ground, leave that to a good DP and FX house.
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No matter what I say, I know that there are going to be people out there who are always going to think Zac Efron sucks or he's gay or he's a posterboy for 10 year old girls, etc. But I've seen him in two movies post the whole High School Reunion(or whatever the movies are called) and, even though they were both dramas, I thought he did great work. Maybe it's because I can't associate him to the High School projects because I've never seen them, but what I have seen I think has been good acting. Also keep in mind that it doesn't say his role in Akira, it just says A ROLE.
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Jonathan Rhys Meyers would have made a great Tetsuo (if they can look past the age) and Zac Efron, Joseph Gordon Levitt, Emile Hirsch, Jamie Bell could all work in rounding out the gang. They aren't oversaturated in the market and are all great actors.
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is just jealous of him... come on, the dude is awesome- talented, great singing voice, gets all kinds of crazy ass, and oh yea- have you seen those abs?!?! Fabulous!
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Harnett, Shia, Channing, or DeCaprio(as rumored years ago).
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he just hasn't been in anything that proves he's the sort of actor who could pull this off. The real concern should be that when a story like Akira is being turned into a PG13 movie with Efron at the head, the implication is that the target audience is younger than it should be. Akira isn't a story made for younger audiences, and a movie adaptation that doesn't appreciate this can barely be called an adaptation at all.
Of course, Hollywood couldn't get a Dragon Ball adaptation right and Dragon Ball is about as dumbed down as anime gets. What hope is there that they could possibly get something like Akira right? -
I doubt this movie will be made within the decade anyway.
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What the hell is "Akira"? I'm just guessing it is something involving either: A. a cartoon B. the Japanese C. a video game D. all of the above
I'm too lazy to look it up on Wikipedia. (I'm 36, I must have missed the train on this one) -
So if Zac Efron is Kaneda, does that mean we'll get his replacement teen heartthrob Justin Bieber as Akira himself?
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Holy Rollers. Saw that on my Netflix streaming list. Maybe I'll check it out.
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If this goes ahead. Seriously My favourite movie, book and soundtrack of all time does not deserve this.
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If you are 36, then you are the prime demographic for Akira. You were a fresh middle/late teen when this came to America.
It's a japanese animation that isn't just a hack and slash bloodfest like others of its time. It's a full lenth animated feature with great storytelling and chilling wierdness. Has a huge cult following and praised by those who enjoy the industry as still one of the top animations ever made. -
thanks, I'll have to check it out. I was big into comics in that time, but then I discovered girls and started jerking off a lot.. that took up most of my free time.
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But PG-13? Forget that.
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Nov 05, 2010 3:31:02 PM CDT
Zack Efron as Keneda (Probably changed to ) = Justin Chetworth
by phategod2
As Goku.
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yeah, I don't really know anything about anime (but just knowing what it is puts me way ahead of the general population) My geek cred lies in superhero comics, sci-fi and Harry Potter
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I seriously hate movie studios I feel like this is how it always goes. They are sitting around discussing a film and.......... "So we're doing a live action Akira movie right?" "Right." "So Akira is great so we should just basically make a straight adaptation..." "Well hold on Dick... How are we suppose to get teen girls in it?" "Teen girls?" "Yeah, look at Twilight, look how much money it makes, movies, books, board games..." "Yeah" "We can do that to Akira! I mean sure the movie will be horrible but at least bitches will hit up Twitter and tell their friends Efron was hot in it." "Right so it will be Akira but with no action..." "Yeah just more abs" "Man we're gay... Not like the good type of gays that should be allowed to get married but the types that have the ability to adapt and make a sweet movie and then ruin it with bull shit ideas, and watering down the rating to a PG-13." "Like Wolverine?" "Exactly, just like Wolverine".
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opinions on casting, etc.. way before some hack producer that probably doesn't know shit about the character- just looking to fill a certain demographic.
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Nov 05, 2010 3:48:25 PM CDT
The reason anime and manga characters have round eyes
by alienindisguise
is because the Japanese can sometimes be envious of western traits like round eyes and large breasts. I know there are some Asians with huge tits ala Hitomi Tanaka but in general terms artists endow their creations with traits they don't have.
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Although, the later Harry Potters have been more enjoyable to watch, I'm not a huge fan. BUT, I'm definitely looking forward to the game coming out on Kinect. That looks tight.
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Along with this Zac, means this won't be anything near as epic as it should be. Get Chris Cunningham, terry gilliam or someone interesting at least. I'm not even against a slight americanization of the cast and setting it in neo Manhattan just get someone able.
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I wouldn't give them this. They're adolescent.
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Akira was released in 1988, Efron was released in 1987. He was ONE YEAR OLD when this movie was given to us, the masses. He better not be seeing it for the first time only because he's going to be in the movie and is familiarizing himself with the story and characters. I want true fans to be a part of this, but with the movie being 22 years old, and them supposed to be kids in the movie, I guess we gotta roll with the punches.....?
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Nov 05, 2010 3:58:09 PM CDT
This is a great casting Choice!!! also need an R and PG version.
by mr dark
Hey listen up you studio asswipes..
If you hurry up and make this before Effron gets to old ..you will make "Titanic" sorts of dollars..Zac will appeal to the teen base like Leo did with Titanic
and you will have repeated viewings in the teen demographic..
Now heres the catch you all really need to put out an "R" rated version of this incredible story and not dilute it down to "PG"
The only way to do this is shoot two versions and sit back and count the dollars..I for one will
plunk down my hard earned duketts
for this and if done the right way it will be a tremendous hit... -
Efron has the power to turn anything into something I will not see. Even this.
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Are you telling me an Asian filmmakers and foreign film studio, cannot film a beloved manga movie with an Asian all star cast with great special fx? They can film it on location in japan itself. Why American it? Just make it look good with subtitles! No zak effron. Please.
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This is going to be bad. Dragon Ball bad.
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Some dude called Ruari Robison tried to make it and it just disappeared.I think zak effron is an inspired choice if it's true!
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all time classic made by the dude who made the Watchmen cartoon spoof: http://bit.ly/aHlFz5
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topless Kat Dennings pictures leaked on the internet. We can all call it a day now.
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The reason Why anime uses large eyes is because its easier to express emotion. The reason why they have big tatas is because there freaking pervs but there as uptight about sex as we are in the ass. Way to completely talk out of ass on that one.
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Nov 05, 2010 4:44:19 PM CDT
Efron would be perfect as one of the guards who gets decapitated
by unfunnydude
Yeahh !
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This going to suck!! Why?!
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This going to suck!! Why?!
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This going to suck!! Why?!
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damn I hope all talks with Zac FAILS!
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I have no problem with them attempting a All American Akira but its gonna suck no matter what...so lets not watch it
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You'll thank me long time!
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A giant blob, wrinkly old kids, gun shots to the face...oh and the sexual assault.
Why bother pretending? Plus the Hughes brothers are borderline B grade film makers anyway. -
There is no real gore. The only thing that may need to be cut is the Kaori body squish. Everything else is fairly tame as far as I can remember, in the amine at least. If they were to have a psychic orgy with a few brain dead victims from the later arts of Neo Toyo destroyed it is a different story though. There is no swearing in Japanese so that is not a problem, and there are adult themes but these are not obscene so can be dealt with any classification. I think they might add a very bad female character or mishandle the Kai character and the love interest; or worst of all add a bit of light relief with a side kick character.
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and films are rated according to the amount of adult content. In the US is this more of a guide to theme?
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if they want to get this done decently they need a Jason Gordon Levitt / James Franco style cast - but contemporary ages - some thing that will be hard to find as we are using hind sight. They need to sort what kind of theme they are doing. Is is a Harry Potter film, a social comentary in the present day, or a well rounded sci fi flick in the nar future. They need a good writer - probably one that is not writing screen plays that can totally disregard what they are expected to produce and write a condensed focussed screen play that will work in 2.5 hours and does not need to know the source material. Lastly they need subtle and unintrusive effects to focus people on the characters. This is not an event movie - not about stuff blowing up and parcouring/shouting your way out of trouble - it just leads up to a massive event logically.
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I can see one or two non-Asian actors playing minor roles, but all others need to be loyal to the manga/anime or piss off. Otomo should put his foot down like Miyazaki did with Disney.
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Pics had leaked onto the net the net would have broken. And you'd be in the room alone...
looking at an empty stage...
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in Walt Disney's cartoons with Mickey Mouse etc but yeah i guess Walt the genius he was,made them that big because he understood that they expressed emotions better.
now if someone could remind me why the japanime chicks dont have vaginas,i would be grateful.someone explained that in a previous talkback but i dont remember what he had said. -
Nov 05, 2010 5:39:49 PM CDT
hm Fleshbot confirms that Dennings nude pics are the real deal
by killik
to the bat-google Robin.
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Bueller?
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.and now the guy is fast becoming legendary.
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... it's a lousy idea. Hopefully this winds up in the same development hell as KEANU BEBOP.
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people inside out and spraying them on the ceiling like doc manhattan. I'm ok with it so long as they can show smashing his girlfriend to pulp exactly as it appears in the cartoon. If it's frame for frame reshot it'll be better than any of the shit that passes for action lately. Efron was born to play steam boy. I hate the original kid that does his voice as much as Anna piquin so he can have that role
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seriously absurd to suggest anything else.
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He should do a buddy cop comedy with Joe Don Baker. They both have giant baby heads for crying out loud- can't you people see that?! Sheesh!
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You would win so many allies if you did.
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hold it open and crap in your Zack Elron loving mouth. I hope they find your kiddie porn u son of a whore.
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until it's actually in theaters or in my blu-ray player.
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This has been in development hell forever. This might have been successful in the 1990s, but I think AKIRA's ship has sailed. They waited too fucking long for stuff like Dragonball and Aeon Flux and they both flopped. If Hollywood fasttracked something like NARUTO stupid kids might actually see it. (They could even cast an Arayan kid as Naruto.)
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found an article showing all 6 pics, i can finally sleep well at night. been wanting to see those since 40yr old Virgin. :P (of course if its not her, girl's a dead ringer so go her)
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I missed that part. The concept for Death Note could actually still work in an Americanized setting and IT'S STILL POPULAR.
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Of course, my gut tells me that this is a joke perpetrated by some troll only interested in watching fanboys go bugfuck, and that by tomorrow, if not sooner, this hoax will be revealed for what it is. But then, of course, my brain only reminds me that Hollywood nowadays loves - LOVES - to prove the cynics right, and that open-mindedness and fairness in regards to these projects are laughable concepts.
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Damn, not even a talent search before tapping the High-School Musicals? What would it take to hire a Japanese cast who could film it dual-language? Akira, when it came out, had a shocking level of animation detail and CGI will just not be able to rise to occasion in that way again. Hell, it was a "cartoon" over two hours long! So, learning of the Efron, I'm guessing they'll make Akira all-spectacle and cash in. Long-range here - try to live up to the original and make something special...even based on the ORIGINAL MANGA.
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I'm sick of people comparing Efron's career to DiCaprio's. Aside from them both being teeny-bopper heartthrobs I honestly don't see the similarities career-wise. DiCaprio's first 10 films: This Boys Life, What's Eating Gilbert Grape, The Quick & The Dead, Basketball Diaries, Romeo & Juliet, Marvin's Room, Titanic, The Man in the Iron Mask, Celebrity, The Beach. There are some pretty outstanding films in that list and what's more is that DiCaprio actually pushed himself by taking challenging roles that risked losing him his teen fanbase. Now let's look at Efron's first 7 films of his young career: High School Musical, (skipping his slew of Disney Channel shows) Hairspray, High School Musical 2, Me & Orson Welles, High School Musical 3:Senior Year, 17 Again, Charlie St. Cloud, and now it looks like Akira. The comparison is laughable.
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and this actually gets made as such, Lucifer has officially taken over HollyWood. No Tokyo. No Akira!
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There's violence up the galore involved here, mass death, sexual themes and nudity, a psychic guy literally making people's bodies explode etc. etc. At best they could push the PG-13 rating as far as it can go... But there are also concepts, politics and other things here that will go way over the tween audience. I don't know about Zack Efron. I don't know a thing about him. If he can man up and become Kaneda, then I have no issue, but Kaneda is so far removed form the public happy go lucky persona I usually see of him that I don't know how this is going to work. Would his managers and shit allow him to be violent, swear and curse or whatever it takes to portray Kaneda? If so, then fine, but otherwise this just feels like a disaster waiting to happen due to suits and third parties with Efron's interests and typical fanbase in mind that could lead to compromises that fuck Akira over to become some diluted piece of shit... There's gonna be too many cooks here pissing in the broth...
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Effron isn't Japanese. How does a square peg fit in a triangle? It doesn't. This is one of the most ludicrous castings I have ever heard. I will never watch this if this happens.
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Neil Blomkamp or Duncan Jones, just by the merits of their low budget first movies.
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I can understand if there were no more wachowskis since one of them is a pre-op transexual (last time I cheqed anyway)Anyway, I hope the best for Akira, I loved seeing the film as a kid.
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I come here for the typos, folks. All your base...
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Fuck this. No fucking way. If this happens, everyone involved should be executed.
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You gotta be fucking kidding me! Zac fucking Effron?If this is true, the AKIRA adaptation is doomed. Doooooooooomed!!!
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If the Akira project is rated R and directed by David Cronenberg.
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America still possesses an infantile attitude when comes to animation.
The notion that content matter that was drawn with the hand and provides the illusion of movement could be appreciated in an adult context is simply too much for many.
“Yeah, but uh, you know, dude, it’s, like, uh, you know, a cartoon.” Say’s some buttmunch, to which I respond, “Have you ever heard of Pavlovian conditioning? Here I come to save the…”
Illustration is used in the development of virtually every modern invention known to man, but placing them in sequential order transforms them to child’s play? Bizarre.
I can’t imagine this adaptation coming off as anything but trite simply because I doubt their appreciation of the source material goes much further than its sales figures to date. -
When are we getting High School Musical 4: Dropping Out??
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Generally when a film like this gets made, the original film gets something of a rivival. I know lots of movie fans who have seen practically every classic you can name except Akira. It's just not on most people's radar - an obscure foreign cartoon from the 80's.
It's an incredible film, though, and there's no way this version will ever top it as it's had such a strong influence on modern film despite the average person having no idea about it.
If this film introduces more people to the original then that can only be a good thing. However, there's also the possibility it could bury the original even further, making the name "Akira" synonymous with shit and no one will bother to look up the original. Let's hope for the former. -
I have noticed that as I grow older my fascination with "Live Action" renditions of animation has waned. As a kid I was excited to see these things done "for real". Now As i get older I'm not that impressed. The combination of CG and poorly realized, cartoonish special effects has ruined live-action adaptations for me. Leave Superman as a cartoon character. Don't ruin Akira with a shitty Cloverfield look alike. It's going to turn into a poorly relaized monster flick. Better to do an Evangelion style rebuild.
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He has charisma and can act just fine. Go and watch 'Me and Orson Welles' for proof. 'High School Musical' is pap, but outside of that he's done good work, even if the films haven't been much cop ('17 Again', 'Charlie St. Cloud').
I haven't seen 'Akira' so I don't know if he's right for this, but he's not a bad actor at all. -
Give it a go, but wouldn't a less known actor.. half japanese do much better?
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This is a fucking stupid idea. Film it in Japan with a all Japanese cast, and I might tbe onboard.
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How many times have they promised a live-action American "Akira" was in the works? Ever since a time where the prospect of that might even have been popular. At this point, who really cares anymore?
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the tagline from the poster of the usa akira movie....
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Then why call it Akira? Why not adapt it in the way they adapted Seven Samurai into the Magnificent Seven, and change it for an American audience, remake it, but base it around similar themes, etc? It's just not gonna' work to literally make Akira and take Japan out of the equation.
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world to remake this live action(in this shitty remake world that is our reality).Because the source of the remake is better than anything else I can think of. Except a ship full of Robotech hot chicks
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MGM announced James Bond will return in November 2012. No word yet on if Daniel Craig can fit it in around his other commitments, but I sure hope so. This really needs its own talkback, right? (Seen on Comic Book Resources.)
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Whether this project comes to fruition or not...we will Always have the original Akira, they can NEVER take that away from us...search your feelings...
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F@$% No!!!!!!!!!
Zac Efron should be busy nuking Vanessa Hudgens in "Highschool musical 6532". -
Why do we need remakes of films that stand alone just fine as they are. Invariably I find they just diminish my memories of the original. What are we ...desperate for writers and original ideas? Oh right ...of course we are. I need a day off or something.
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Beiber as Tetsuo? Maybe Levato as Kei? This is awful..... Way to go for ruining it for us, Hollywood! Asshats!!
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I really wish there was more of a focus on remaking things that are outdated, or just didn't get it right in the first place. AKIRA is one of the most perfect things in existence. Remake The Last Starfighter or something like that. And if you have to do a live-action anime, how about Nausicaa in the Valley of the Wind in 3D?
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Don't studios know who the target demo for this? It's fucking guys 13-45. Casting Efron is already a nail in the coffin if the studio attempt is to get a teen girl audience or the Twillight. I don't believe they would try that since Efron's last flick tanked if I'm not mistaken.
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Efron just has the Disney baggage. He's not a bad actor. I liked 17again, but the guy had a stigma attached to him that turns off straight males. Akira is material for us. The studio needs to understand. Watering it down or changing the story to fit Efron in it and draw in multiple demographics always usually hurts a flick
In the end. Akira is not meant or was never conceived to be family friendly or pull in the Twilight demo. I never understand why studios pull shit like this. Now to be fair the flick isn't out yet and we've no idea what the direction is. They may stick to the source material but tone down the violence and stuff to get a pg 13 rating. -
Unless James Cameron is directing it no studio is gonna straight greenlit it with reservations. No Anime film has been successful box office wise in the states. I'm not sure one was ever made. I know DBZ was made but who took that seriously? That was mess from for was DOA.
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who gives a fuck?
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WTF Akira works in its medium just fine. I personally think is should always stay there. I'd much rather see an adaptation of Perfect Blue ( or Last Starfighter as Audotdidact said... hell I'd love a "special edition Starfighter where they just redo the effects. Disney has to have the original film with all the green screen still It would be awesome. As for Anime adaptations... how about a new Ghost in the Shell story? The TV series made the universe far more approachable to the common american movie go-er ( yeah, I mean less cerebral, more guns )... why not extend the TV series universe back into a live action movie?
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You know they'd do it. Maybe everyone will ride segways instead of motorcycles.
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Nov 06, 2010 10:06:09 PM CDT
Technically they are adapting the manga, apparently as a trilogy
by johnno
That's what I heard. And believe me, the anime is awesome... but it gets nowhere near the level of craziness that occurs in the manga... If they plan on doing the crazy ass shit that's in the manga then this is gonna need a CRAZY BUDGET and at least 2 back to back films! We're talking James Cameron Titanic/Avatar money here to make this work! There's only a few people that we can trust to do this. It's either Cameron at least in a producer role or the Wachowski Brothers... and maybe, just maybe if we're all out of options, Zack Snyder... you all know this to be true...
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Akira doesn't even do or say much. They can just cast a little Japanese kid no problem to be Akira. But watch them rename Kaneda and Tetsuo to Kennedy and Ted. Originally wasn't DiCaprio up for Kaneda? Is he too old? Anyway, apparently the story they were considering was to make it Neo-New York, which was destroyed by Akira and then rebuilt with Japanese money and Japanese aesthetics to be like Neo-Tokyo, except it's New York, which is in America, with white people, and inevitable black gang members and a Mexican or two...
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Nov 06, 2010 10:14:53 PM CDT
Also they'll probably end up ditching the fantastic anime score
by johnno
Or have Daft Punk remix it with Kanye West rappin...
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You all secretly want it.
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It's bad enough they have to make stupid remakes of foreign language films simply becasue the majority of the US public are illiterate, but its even worse when they start making live action versions of foreign language animated films. Can someone in the Hollywood studio head level just levy for original movies and stories and put some money behind that instead?
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Since when have these hacks ever done any fucking research into the properties they exploit? The screenwriter will probably skim through the first volume of the manga (looking only at the pretty pictures), smoke a bowl, then watch the first 45 minutes of the anime at 3am and fall asleep. He'll decide he gets the "gist" of it and that he can do it better. The director won't even do that much and will brag that he's never even seen the source material.
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They would get no where with complex story that need s a rolling narrative that constantly builds like Batman Begins or Dark Knight. They cannot do multiple strand stories and get very muddles. They would just bung in a whole load of Japanese references even though the story would be localised, but leave out lots of important character development. Get some one that can direct political thrillers to do it.
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This is not happening
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But I agree that Zac Effron sucks. Akira is a Japanese movie, set in Japan, with Japanese characters dealing with Japanese symbols, ideas, psychology and mythology. Sooooooooo, Whoreywood wastes no time in dumbing this down (aka Americanizing it), defanging it, removing all context, casting some tween / twink douchebag in the lead role, and generally ruining one of the greatest films of all time. I really, really hope that this never happens and never sees the light of day.
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Shalom!
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Nov 07, 2010 11:03:30 AM CST
MJs_Cold_Dead_Pale_Corpse = Obese Virgin Nazi Cunt Living In Mom
by laserpants
Fat fucking pussy hiding your fat ass behind your mom's computer in the basement. Bitch. (Btw, I'm not Jewish. I'm also not a coward nazi fuck like you, cowering in your mom's basement, covered in your own cum and vomit, spewing your hate, you sniveling little shit. What, is this overcompensation for all those times your father mouth raped you? Fucking pussy.
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Fucking pussy. Coward. Cunt. Nazi bitch.
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Or at least a Chinese or Korean.
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is your little heart about to pump out of your frail rib cage? Settle down and take a big drink...of my cum....from your mother's anus....it will sooth your animosity.
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has a nice ring to it!
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It will bomb, you motherfuckers!
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...Akira himself, or one of the other psychic "guinea pig" kids.
But if he's playing one of the biker punks (let alone Tetsuo or Kaneda), I'm gonna be SO angry.
You wouldn't like me when I'm angry. -
That shitty anime didn't do its awesome title any justice!!
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and see how Zac Efron comes out:Incredibly good-looking? Check.Body to die for? Check.Far better than average acting ability, as seen in Me and Orson Welles? Check.Envious fanboys enraged to the point that most of them can't even write a coherent sentence on the topic? Check.Gee, nothing has changed.
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Akira is barely seen in the anime so I'm sure that wont be a problem. It's Tetsuo and Kaneda who need to be played by Japanese actors. I'm sure the Colnol and a few of the characters outside of Kaneda's biker gang could be passed of as westerners, however.
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you greedy soulless bastards!
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