It looks like the Akira live action movie is in trouble, again, as Warner Bros. has shut down production for the “below the line” talent, which means the ones doing a lot of the heavy lifting and planning rather than the stars, who don’t have anything to do until the film is actually set to start shooting and can be released generally easily from the contract if the film is shelved. Which, apparently, has some potential due to both the budget and the general negativity and backlash associated with the film. The feature has already had its budget slashed from when Albert Hughes was going to direct a two-picture production as it’s now down to a single picture at $90 milion. Supposedly the plan is to get the budget down to between $60-70 million.
Producers, which include Appian Way’s Jennifer Kiloran Davisson and Mad Chance’s Andrew Lazar, will hunker down with director Jaume Collet-Serra for the next two weeks to iron out the script. It is unclear if Harry Potter scribe Steve Kloves, who did a pricey rewrite on the project a year ago, will be brought in to help out.
Plot concept: An adaptation of the classic Japanese manga, Akira is an Americanized story set in a post-apocalyptic New Manhattan, where a motorcycle gang leader (Hedlund) must stop his brother and fellow gang member from abusing his newly acquired telekinetic powers.
[Source: Heat Vision]