Hollywood: Akira “Was Boring” & GitS “Underway”
- Categories: Anime, News
- Date: Feb 14, 2014 18:02 JST
- Tags: Adaptations, Akira, Ghost in the Shell, Hollywood, Movies, Production Controversy
Hollywood is preparing to wreak its magic on yet more anime classics after the director of its Akira adaptation rubbished the original, saying there was “nobody interesting” in it and that he will doubtless do much better, whilst DreamWorks has finally announced its long-feared adaptation of Ghost in the Shell will be directed by the man famed for Snow White and the Huntsman.
Hollywood’s “Akira” adaptation – already notorious for ditching Neo-Tokyo as a setting along with most of the story of the original – is still ongoing after being repeatedly canned by its studio, and is now planned in “scaled-down” format which will allow for sequels without the bother of having to commit to a full adaptation.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra showed his disdain for the original cartoon version in a recent interview:
What is it you are bringing specifically that is going to make it yours?
Collet-Serra: I hope that I can bring strong characters. In the original source material, I don’t think the main characters are the protagonists. What I’m hoping is to bring characters.
That’s true. It’s one of those strange stories where you literally never see the main character that is the namesake of the film!
Collet-Serra: Nobody’s interesting. Tetsuo’s interesting because weird sh*t happens to him, and Kaneda is so two-dimensional. That’s part of the Japanese culture, they never have strong characters. They’re used as a way to move the other philosophy forward.
In a rare nod to it once having been set in Tokyo, he does concede he “is thinking of doing some location shooting in Japan.”
They are apparently planning an Akira Lite to see if they can spin out the movie into a series:
Then, if you’re interested, they’ll make “Akira 2 & 3” then you can get deeper into it. I love the world, a lot of people love that world, so why wouldn’t we indulge in it a little bit and see how it would be if it was real?
Like you say I don’t have to explain everything, but wouldn’t you like to spend two-hours in a world of “Akira” and follow a character and be like, “that’s cool”? That’s all I want to offer, is two-hours in a world you can actually feel. We’re working on it.
As if all this were not enough to be getting on with, Hollywood is now also actively working on a live action remake of Ghost in the Shell, the rights having been acquired by DreamWorks in 2008 when it may have seemed like a good idea.
The film is reportedly now to be directed by Rupert Sanders, whose sole major production credit to date is Snow White and the Huntsman.
No details of the inevitable liberties it will be taking with the story have emrged, but fans can presumably look forward to the epic tale of a courageous NSA major as he bravely battles cyber-terrorists amidst the spires of New Washington, although even in this case Hollywood will not have its work cut out doing better than Arise…
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Apart from the silly haircuts, Arise isn't bad at all; I'll take an OVA like Arise over an American cluster-fuck any day of the week.
Where's Hitler when you need him?
(Because he would kill the Jews thus protecting the world from seeing Hollywood rape another Manga/Anime)
NOT SURE --> You are mentally retarded
You are aware that in Nazi Germany retards (like you) were gased even BEFORE the Jews, yes?
Hitler was a nazi german retard plus a jew, why he was not gased?
He was neither retarded nor Jewish But I guess you're a troll and you already know that.
Wow you sure know your history. Go back to study. He was a jew and he was a retard(don't remember the name of the specific mental sickness but it similar to the one Caligola from roman history had too, the victim suffers from genius flashes and retard flashes) . Do you know even his personal doctor and religious adviser was a jew too? And that helped him write his bible(called mein kampf)?? Wow , are you butthurt now??
no answer?? Does it mean that you accept your loss o little noob?
Never have strong characters? How many anime did this shithead see? Akira is in the Manga, the movie end is not end of manga story because it wasn't finished at the time
The one who seems to know nothing about the manga is the interviewer. Journalism at its finest.
Bigger flop than Dragonball Evolution? Most likely
Holy fuck. Talk about crazy narcisim. It's like the director wants Japan to hate him.
It's ok, english is the enemy language, they already hate US...
Hollywood: Go F**k Yourself!
This will be worse than DB Evolution and Avatar TLA movie combined.
I think the director is seriously mixing up the Movie Akira with the original Manga. The movie looked great but he wouldn't be wrong in saying that the characters were pretty 1 dimensional. If he had read the manga version, the characters become far more fleshed out.
I don't think Akira is supposed to be about the characters, it's about what's happening to the world and the people in it. It's a cautionary tale for society and the world we live in, not any certain kind of individuals. It's more like a disaster film but with philosophical ideas instead of explosions. It's not meant to be entertaining, it's just a horror that makes you think, like how Godzilla was back when it released.
It's because modern mentality relies on expressing story through characters. They don't know how to do it any other way.
It's similar to how games usually involve a lone character, and that doesn't work in for the usual story context because there's nobody for them to interact with.
So, when those games get adapted to movies, they add tons of stupid pointless characters whose sole purpose is to drive the story and add personality.
They really don't know how to do it any other way.
Wow, the director actually had the audacity to insult Akira? Wow just wow. If Hollywood wants to adapt anime/manga why not go for ones which actually makes sense? Like Gantz for instance, that's something I could see Hollywood doing a good job on but GITS? Akira? GTFO plz.
Akira the movie was trash.
Your mom's trash.
That’s part of the Catalonian culture, they never do interesting movies. Then blame others for letting them do shit. Now Holllywood's money made that more evident.
First of all, it's "Catalan" culture.
And do I smell gratuituous attack towards Catalonia for no reason?
Guy said one half-truth and then a bunch of shit. His movie will suck big time. No need to attack the country for no valid reason. Move on.
I thought they killed the project already.
Nope, nope, nope.
Hollywood shouldn't be allowed to do ANYTHING, after the Dragonball Evolution flop. Haven't these retards learned ANYTHING from that god-awful fuck up?
Why yes, they did. Since then they did Pacific Rim, which was a successful adaptation of Daikaiju movies. However, given the amount of nudity in GitS I still wouldn't try it.
You are retarded! It was utter shit plot wise.
We can do it because our nuclear powered on Diesel engine running mech with its holographic HUD is analog and thus not affected by emp.
What utter bullshit.
Sciencefiction is one thing, but it still needs to have consistency in itself.
Ever heard of suspension of disbelief? if you didnt enjoy pacific rim because of it had retarded science, then you must also hate any sci-fi anime that has a teenager piloting a mech
There's nothing wrong with soft science fiction versus hard science fiction.
What's so unbelievable about a teenager piloting a mech? We've had plenty of pre-teen kids driving cars in reality without any problem, until they get caught.
Give it a few years for your tastes to mature, you'll be like "pacific rim is lame as hell, why did i watch this shit"
why?, it had great action and fun characters. It is probably the best live-action mech movie ever made
"That’s part of the Japanese culture, they never have strong characters."
This guy does know how stupidly boring and cliche most Hollywood characters are, right? I foresee boring main character, a female for the sake of being female as the secondary main, lots of pointless explosions and a boring story that has nothing to do with the original. Poor Akira. :|
> how stupidly boring and cliche most Hollywood characters are, right?
Like most anime characters are any different?
The point is that he was talking like cliche characters were something wrong with anime, when it's one thing pretty common in any mainstream media.
Wake up, little Alice, wake up and come back from Wonderland!
Apperently you didn't see any anime, or you're a dumb troll. Nevermind, in any case your "opinion' is worthless.
"in any case your opinion is worthless."
I disagree, his opinion is as important as yours. You don't have to agree with his point of view but it doesn't make it any less valid compared to your opinion.
> Most
You retard.
Most anime characters are just shitty cardboard cutout cliches.
If you can't see that you are deluded.
If you refer to shitty moe and fanservice for those retards YES.
It's gonna be about a guy named Akira who is changing into a monster, or some shit like that. Tetsuo and Kaneda will be childhood friends who are trying to stop him and save the world. I'm calling it now.
Nah, Akira's gonna be some kid along with Tetsuo and Kaneda, and they all go to high school and do all this high school drama and shit.
Let's see what hollywood has.
Bastardize men that always look like the impressive hulk. If he's not the hulk than he's some high-end slutty CEO with all the good looks. Females are always retarded know-it-all whores who always get the guy and as old as fuck.
Japanese culture is fine the way it is. It's not phony in terms of western culture. I prefer a japanese man beauty over some loud dumbass from the west.
The characters thing is the exact excuse that was made for Street Fighter the movie.
I see nothing has changed since then.
At least the SF movie is a great comedy, though.
Fucking LOL. So much butthurt from weaboos all over here XD
Fact: All Japanese films ARE boring.
Fact: Japanese people do not look good. That's why they hire beautiful AMERICAN actors instead.
Fact: Japanese film makers do TALKING lots of TALKING. American film makers get to the point. They give all of us what we want. ACTION and lots of it.
So many Film Scholars on here, telling Hollywood it's craft. You must all be so well paid for all the research and training you have all had for the last 30 to 40 years in the industry!
Oh and Fact: After the first 20 minutes, AKIRA is super fucking boring. Literally, GOD BLESS America, for having a clue when it comes to entertainment, because if it were left to the likes of the otaku Japanese to solely make us entertainment, we'd be left with the likes of nothing but fucking Vocaloid Child Sex Hareem "comedy" dramas.
Oh, one more fact: The Japanese are possible THE unfunniest nation on the planet. Their stand, i assume,l is written for 7 year olds and below right ?
Sir, you speak crap that is is worse than North Korean propaganda. Why? Because you actually believe what you say. Damn incredible, 'Murrica all right.
Fact: those are opinions
You... I like you.
Fact: you are a faggot
America = Enternainment ??? Have a nice day shooting and yelling freedom. Yeah, japanese humor may not be the best but america?? Pls, come over here in italy.
As for japanese movies there are some on international level that deserve respect. One funny one is Thermae Romae that is at the level of old italian movies.
Italian movies suck, you retard. Nobody outside of Italy has ever heard of them, unlike Japanese and American movies.
Do you even Totò !?!???? If not you don't deserve to live on this planet anymore.
"One funny one is Thermae Romae that is at the level of old italian movies."
So you're saying it's a really bad sex exploitation film staring some italian slut with saggy tits & huge nipples? No thanks, I get enough incest stories from Japan.
@02:56
Gayest comment ever.
@02:19
You are fucking retarted.
Fact: I'll take the worst japanese comedy over the popular trash "comedies" like 2 broke girls and two and a half men. Seriously I don't know why people find those shows funny.
I watch both of those for the tits. You're right though, I rather actually get some laughs to go along with the tits, but Kat Dennings cannot be missed.
Fact: Many Japanese films ARE boring. But some their anime, and comedy show (Silent Library come to mind)is top notch.
Fact: Some Japanese people do look good. And some of American, are ugly and plenty of fatass around. I believethe distribution of good looking people versus regular population ratio is bout the same in Japan and America.
Fact: Japanese film makers usually focus on drama or human interaction, so the talking is inevitable. Some American movie focusing too much on action that people are clueless what is going on.
Just because they training for 40 years and paid well, doesn't mean American Film Scholars are better..
Oh and Fact: Akira is not boring, its a masterpiece. And why do you bring Vocaloid and comedy anime into discussion, its entirely different genre.
Oh, one more fact: Japanese can be pretty funny and creative, and some American can be annoying with their knock knock joke and Yo mama "joke".. Not funny.
"Oh, one more fact: Japanese can be pretty funny and creative, and some American can be annoying with their knock knock joke and Yo mama "joke".. Not funny."
Japanese humor consists of making weird faces, puns that don't make sense when translated into other languages, and sexual harassment.
Actually, the film director is Spanish (FYI Spain is in Europe, not somewhere near mexico), so Akira film will not be a Typical hollywood film. I think the "spanish touch" would make the film even worse, because the 99% of "made in spain" films are a big piece of shit.
I'm spainsh, I know what I'm talking about when I say the films are crap.
Kurosawa says hello. We wouldn't even have Star Wars without Kurosawa. Your OPINION is invalid.
Obvious troll is obvious.
The funny thing here is their perception of Japan is based on their understanding and expectations, which in turn are a reflection of their own environment.
In other words, everything they said is more about themselves than anything else.
Japanese comedies are actually quite entertaining. Try "Kamikaze Girls". It's pretty funny.