Akira Saved From Hollywood’s Clutches
- Categories: Anime, News
- Date: Jun 18, 2009 02:04 JST
- Tags: Adaptations, Akira, Cancellations, Hollywood, Katsuhiro Otomo, Raep
Anime fans dreading the rapacious assault of Hollywood upon the classic anime now in their crosshairs can breathe a sigh of relief with the news that the live action adaptation of classic science fiction tentacle anime Akira is “dead as a doornail.”
The new movie, to have been produced by some of the usual suspects, Leonardio DiCaprio’s Appian Way and Warner Brothers, was to have been split in two parts by a green director nobody has ever heard of.
It took typically Hollywood-esque liberties with the setting and story: rather than being a futuristic biker gang story set in Neo-Tokyo, the movie was to have been a Hollywood star vehicle set in “New Manhattan” (which in a tangential connection to the events of the anime “was built with Japanese money”), and doubtless would have featured a racing tournament centred on multidimensional alien artefacts or something similar…
Via Cinema Today.
Now terrified anime fans can instead affix their frantic gaze on future adaptations of Ghost in the Shell, Death Note and Ninja Scroll, amongst other classics due to receive the Hollywood touch…








Wow good news *whew*
For now. *sinister smirk*
I vote for some Japanese bunch of dudes to do the movie, not some white asses.
No offence intended though. :D
Couldn't agree more. However the Japs aren't too good at making live action anime movies either (Death Note, Higurashi etc). I say leave the franchise alone altogether.
At least the japanese follow the original idea. Executive meddling is the worst cultural thing EVER.
i think the only directors that would have given it a fair interpretation would have been:
kubrick -dead but clockwork orange was immense
david lynch - watch twin peaks and then you'll understand
michel gondre - not done anything appropriate, but is a genius
since none of those were on board it would have been painfully shit
just mix japanese directors with Hollywood's budget and u get amazing movies.
Seriously, thats what they should do. Cause both Japan and America make shitty adaptation movies when doing it alone.
@Anon: Don't use the word "Jap", you filthy lazy-to-type racist! Haev some manners!
Was racism intended? No? Then STFU about racism.
heyjey got it. In this case, two wrongs make a right.
Was Death Note that bad? I rather enjoyed the original storyline at the end. I mean, the cast almost looked like a cosplay of the manga and there was some great acting too.
Some Japanese people just take offense really fast to "Jap" even when it isn't used in a racist manner. I remember that my Japanese teacher raged at one of my friends because he had written "Jap" to abbreviate the class on a field trip form back in high school.
It is like wap (Italian) or kraut(German), I have been called both(not at the same time obviously) and it pisses me off. Just don't use "jap" unless you have to, it is a derogatory term left over from before but used during WWII.
hollywood fuck, repeat the stoyr with dragon ball, a disaster
seriously how hard is it to hire the creator or some celeb super fan to write the script or help with the creative writing of the script instead of talentless shithead script writers....
Are the most obvious things so wrong?
You know why?
It's called the Writers Guild of America.
You know why?
It’s called the JEWS.
lol!!!!
yeah, the story has to be dumbed up for the whitey audience of the 8 and up variety so that worthless toy companies can make toys to sell to morons.
and yeah, its also the kikes!!!
hahahahaha!!!
"doubtless would have featured a racing tournament centred on multidimensional alien artefacts or something similar…"
Sounds kinda cool, I always thought this was something Akira was missing...
now we just need to hope someone blows up hollywood
*looks at opening pic*
Where Akira when you need him?
In pieces. Under Neo-Tokyo. =3=
i second this. in fact, please just nuke our country. thanks
Oh thank god. Of course, once the process has begun, it can't be reversed. I'm sure this whole cockery has brought Akira to the attention of some other hollywood hacks, and it's really only a matter of time from here on.
Kaneda!!!!!!!
Travis!!!
Quickest C-C-C-COMBO BREAKER ever?
You can't really combo break after 2 hits :}
Combo continues below...
Tetsuo had his named changed for the American Live action Akira. It was Travis, but now it's not since the movie is gone.
CANADA!
I'll bite.
鉄雄!!!
Hollywood needs to go after series with deep philosophical themes, like Strike Witches or Queen's Blade. A live action of those would be gold.
Loli does not exist in Hollywood
Dakota Fanning
Loli no more.
Doesn't she have a younger sister?
Taxi Driver, anyone? Loli prostitute, even.
They would change the costumes. They would give all the girls jeans and there would be no pantsu in sight.
The remake of Barbarella is set to out sometime in the next few years (you find the link between the two).
She is the beauty of that game, above all else. I've got several doujishas worth of just her and also the game and it's sequel!
Where is the sequel?!
They'd better not touch my GITS
Concured, i do not wish to see "live action" Major Kusanagi.
they better not touch GITS or i hackz them!
lolzor also dont touch cbow Bebop!
Its too late for Cowboy Bebop now comrade, *sniff* just forget about it and try our best to prevent our other fav. anime turn into live action film before its too late.
HOLLYWOOD!! WE WON'T DO AS YOU PLEASE
They will stop making live action adaptations when they see that no one watches those.
Thing with ninja scroll is its gonna stay in its roots
so no american cast but american production value and effects etc. so your gonna see a Japanese movie with a 100million$ american budget XD
Westerners, if not Americans, have shown that they can make awesome movies. Why do they always fail at anime & game adaptations? Really, it's a shame.
Because Americans are the only ones making them.
Only because you only watch American movies.
Because hollywood changes them too much from the original source so that it will "appeal to a larger demographic" (they don't seem to understand that it never works).
In an attempt to cater to wider tastes, they tend to screw the adaptations just to make it more...palatable to the general public. Which waters down the essence of the anime.
"classic science fiction tentacle anime"
Tentacle? When were there tentacles in Akira?
The scene in the stadium maybe, when Tetsuo is mutating?
I always thought of those as amorphous growths.
They could still do all those things, that tentacles normally do.
But did they? Admittedly, it's been a while since I watched Akira, but I don't seem to recall there being any significant tentacle content, either...
They tried their hands at live action Double Dragon. It tanked.
They tried doing Dragon Ball the Movie, and see how THAT turned out.
Every anime-adaptation Hollywood has touched has turned to mold, pretty much. I wonder when they'll figure it all out and realize the Japanese do anime light years better than THEY do?
and don't forget cowboy bebop, spike as Keanu Reeves..
tandan dan..
I would've included Cowboy Bebop, but it hasn't come out where I live yet.
keanu reeves as spike ... the other way arround you idiot
or do you see a spike acting like a keanu reeves?!
Oh... What do you think about Jack Sp... I mean Johnny Depp? I think he can do any paper XD
Good.
there is a god
There is probably no god.
Now stop worring about Hollywood and Uwe Boll and enjoy your life.
It's impossible to stop worrying about Uwe Boll, the guy scares the crap out of me.
You realise that he keeps getting Films made due to some Tax Loophole that guarantees anyone who invests in his Films will get back whatever they paid regardless of it's Box Office.
They changed the laws a while back, so no more wasting of all my precious tax money.
Still didn't stop Uwe Boll.
Hollywood can't even do their own (American) comic book heroes live-action adaptations well (X-men, the Silversurfer, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Spiderman, the Transformers etc. etc., all are poor adaptations)! So, do not touch and stay away from the manga classics. Hollywood do not have the heart to understand the core of the comicbooks (whehter it's Marvel or Daily Comics etc.) and especially the Japanese manga, let alone adapt them into good live-action movies.
Although I want to see a "Twelve Kingdoms" (十二国記, Jūni Kokuki) live-action movie in (at least) "Lord of the Rings" quality or in "Hero" quality (yes, the martial art/(semi-)historical movie with Jet li, Tony Leung, Maggie Cheung, Donnie Yen etc.)
Transformers was American originally?
Yes, the Transformers comicbooks are made by Marvel Comics back in 1980s. The idea was brought up by Hasbro, an American Toymaker, when Hasbro went to Japan to import the Diaclone and Micro-change toys in the USA, which form the idea of the Transformers.
Didn't know that... thanks!
VICTORY!!!
IS OUR'S! {_}\(^∀^)メ(^∀^)ノ{_}
I'll join in the celebration:
┌(・。・)┘♪└(・。・)┐♪┌(・。・)┘
We have won the battle but we have not yet won the war.
Ndeed, a respite for now...
Until ~ new ~ tragic news comes upon us. concerning a beloved Classic Animé, held within the clutches of Holly-terrorist-wood.
Surely, there is a director (somewhere) that respects Animé for what it truly is...
A stunning example of how far art, creative skill, can take an imagination and WOW us to the core...
Looks like Hollywood is beginning to realize that making live action movies based on anime is a bad idea. I also heard that the FMP live action movie might not happen. This just gives me hope that they won't do a live action Cowboy Bebop.
I don't think it is a bad idea for some series.
I just find it hard to believe they fuck up basic elements like changing original storylines for something ridiculous. if they're gonna change it at least keep something of quality interest.
good new for the anime fans.now japan must counterstrike and force to gonzo what make animes of hollywoood movies how titanic,star wars,etc.
If japan makes anime of hollywood movies then that would give hollywood the impression that japan wants more anime to be made into hollywood movies.
You got a point there
Hollywood is just a word.
And anime is just cartoons. Your point?
'classic science fiction tentacle anime'
....tell me what does it mean
Hollywood is no longer a place of creativity. Now it's place where old things can be rehashed in to piles of shit. Fewer and fewer original titles are coming out of Hollywood, it's pathetic.
I was arguing this 3 days ago with a friend, we both agree completely. They can make great visuals but can't make stories for shit. If they could leave stories intact maybe it would be ok but they have proven they cant ><
Hehehe... multidimensional alien ARTEFACTS.
So there are multiple Artefacts in existence, I see. And they're all aliens.
And no, a "do not want" for the movie. Good job to whoever cancelled it.
I vote get some people from Korea to make the movie then bomb in the Box office and no one has to know about it.
Hoorah for Akira! But for the other licenses, haven't they learned fucking up foreign properties is unprofitable?!
*Wipes sweat off the forehead.....reads further*
''Now terrified anime fans can instead affix their frantic gaze on future adaptations of Ghost in the Shell, Death Note and Ninja Scroll......''
*ends up in a coma*
I will only allow hollywood to have death note if they have samuel l jackson as L
Target is safe now. Mission Succesful.
The only word I have to say here is that any of those otaku-freakazoids out there could do better movies from anime than Holliwood. With no offense, of course.
One thing that I was always saying to my bro is that a FMP movie would be hard to turn into something human eyes must not see. But now I remember that they're Hollywood. How is it possible when they can do movies like Star Wars, The Matrix and so?
Because they keep watering down EVERY story. Attempt squeezing episodes of well-written story into a two or three hour movie. Or make it a trilogy. Now added with Hollywood trying to cater to wider tastes and cut down parts of story here and there. It's going to be a watered down version that has hardly any depth to it beyond 'nice CGs'.
Did you notice that Star Wars and The Matrix are originals? That's why they were good. Adaptations usually suck. Take a look at Harry Potter. Noticed just how much was content was cut? How about Lord of the Rings? The Tom Bombadil story was also cut. And The Ring Hollywood adaptation. Bits and pieces were missing.
You have way too much faith in Hollywood. If you want to watch Hollywood movies, make sure you are watching original movies, not some stinking adaptation. Not that they are producing originals nowadays.
What happened to the dude's girlfriend when she got trapped inside his body?
*Squash* That's what happened.
FUCK YA! AKIRA!
Wow! Aliens huh.
Yeah, they would do that since I guess a plot about motorcycle gangs and psychics wasn't enough.
Believe or not, I was actually looking forward to this. Looking forward to how horrible it would have been.
I guess DBE really did kill the notion of "live action anime."
thats good hollywood stay away from anime please you haven't done anything thing to it.
plz save Ghost inthe Shell too...plz
Any anime that is touched by hollyweird is doomed to corruption and decay before it even is premiered.
Games too.
Wow, didn't know that they were gonn'a make this. Either way, this is a relief.
I just don't get why Hollywood wants to fuck up most of what made an anime's story and settings just for the sake of making it "closer to home".
son of a bitch
i hope they dont touch
gits
Seems everyone but Hollywood agrees with you. They need to learn how to wrote a damn story.
Other failed adaptations...
Mary Shelly's Frankenstein (though really all versions)
Bram Stoker's Dracula (look above)
Both simple enough they could have been done without cutting chunks of story out. If they can't do stories in English correctly they need to stop taking foreign ones and making them "Americanized"
Gorgeous. Now to save GitS from Spielberg. Although I have to admit to being a little curious...
GITS hollywoodized
Jolie=Makoto
Arnold=Batou
Lord,save us.
You're doing it wrong.
Makoto = Milla Jovovich
Batou = Mikey Rourke
thank got for this. i bet if they did make american hollywood Akira it would look totally stupid and take place in the ghetto of L.A. and have suzukis, yamahas, and hondas instead of kickass concepts.
if they want a live-action Ninja Scroll,they've should've hired Takashi Miike.
*sigh of relief*
but still...FUCK YOU HOLLYWOOD!!!
+1 For Japan, -1 For Hollywood.
Finally an anime saved from the evil clutches of Hollywood and its hypocrites that hates lolicon and sexy anime girls but makes movies with b!+ches on it.
Hollywood should just stick on making live action movies of their own comics not making a corrupted live-action version of an anime show (and even horror movies made from Asia as Hollywood version are not as "thrilling" as the Asian version particularly the Japanese horror movies).
I would be damned pissed off at Hollywood if they make a Hollywood version of the anime SHUFFLE!
WTF!! Manhattan? Vehicle instead of bikes? Alien Artefact?
This is NOT Akira, I'm glad its off
interesting choice of words... "the hollywood touch" must be a touch akin to brutal sexual molestation at the hands of the incredible hulk.
I bet the team of Ring (original, not the US shit) could make a great Akira movie given enough money.
BTW, I'd love to see a GitS movie directed by John Woo.
Never liked Akira so don't care, but I am a scuker for a superheroes movies.I would like to see a berserk movie with sparten 300 feel.