Taika Waititi gives first update on Akira live-action film

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Akira’s live-action adaptation has been floating through the depths of Hollywood for about two decades. The latest director to be assigned the masterpiece is New Zealand’s Marvel hero Taika Waititi, whose instantly recognizable style could breathe new life into Katusihiro Otomo’s film.

Waititi has been very open about how the new Akira adaptation is getting pushed back or canceled by studios.

In 2019, it was announced that Waititi had been contracted to direct the film for a 2021 release date.

However, after Thor: Love and Thunder was announced, the film was pushed back to allow it to meet its Marvel requirements.

Now, in a new interview, the director has given his first update on where the new version of Akira is.

He said “I’m still trying [to make it]. I don’t want to give that up.” (via Wired)

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Taika Waititi spoke out about his Akira film (Image: GETTY • MANGA ENTERTAINMENT)

Taika Waititi Akira

Taika Waititi working on new Akira movie (Image: MANGA ENTERTAINMENT)

Akira is notoriously extremely difficult to adapt to the big screen.

Not only does the film encompass a collection of massive locations, but it also has a staggering amount of supernatural elements baked into the storyline, meaning that the film would undoubtedly require a big budget.

James Gunn recently mentioned the adaptation, claiming that Waititi pulled out of his new release, The Suicide Squad, after Akira was “green-lit”.

Taika Waititi

Taika Waititi spoke out about the film (Image: GETTY)

Gunn said, “I was actually thinking about Taika for another role and I offered it to him and he said, ‘I don’t know.’

“He was working on Akira at the time and he said, ‘I had to give you my answer within two weeks.’ He totally wanted to do it. It was one of the other superheroes. And he said he wanted to do it and then Akira got the green light and it happened.”

Shortly after, Akira fell through again, freeing Waititi to appear in Gunn’s film, where he played Ratcatcher.

Waititi last spoke about Akira in 2020 after receiving his Oscar for Jojo Rabbit.

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Waititi said of Akira: “The whole thing was on hold. We had to keep pushing the dates, and it infringed on the Thor [Love and Thunder] data, which were immovable. So Akira ended up switching for two years on the track.” (Via Variety)

The director added: “Post-Thor. So I’m not sure I’ll even be in two years – I don’t know what I’m doing in two days f*****g … I think possibly [Akira] will happen. I’m just not sure if I’m going to do it.”

There are certainly many hoops for a live-action Akira to jump through, including the endorsement from the franchise’s creator, Otomo.

The artist said in 2017, “When it comes to Akira, I’ve already finished the original manga and my own anime version as well. So in that sense, I’m basically done with Akira. If anyone wants to do something new with Akira, I’m I usually deal with that.

“When I accepted the Akira live-action offer, I generally agree with what they want to do with it. However, I put one important condition on a live-action version and that is that I have to check the screenplay and approve.”

Akira (1988) is available on Netflix.

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