Will TRON:LEGACY Star Race in to Star in Live-Action AKIRA?

Back when I was growing up, the Syfy channel (then it was simply Sci-Fi) would show Japanese anime films on Saturday and Sunday mornings.  Though edited down to show on television, this was my first glimpse into the bizarre world of animated sex and violence all set against the bright poppy colors typically associated with anime.  Vampire Hunter D, Tank Police, Ninja Scroll, Demon City Shinjuku,and Ghost in the Shell all intrigued me in these young years of my life.  Yet, it was a film about a punk motorcycle gang in the future that gets wrapped up in a secret government experiment that really captured my interest.  That 1988 anime that still holds up to this day is Akira.  The film has since made a national name out of its creator Katsuhiro Ohtomo.

Now the Neo-Tokyo of 2019 is about to be translated to a live-action film directed by Jaume Collet-Serra (Orphan, Unknown).  The project has tried to get off the ground an endless amount of times only to run out of gas before even making it to the starting line.  Keanu Reeves was the most recent name attached to star in the project.  However, the fan’s outcry of disgust over that rumor quickly led the production to go a different route.  In fact, they have now honed in on someone who has had recent experience riding on a futuristic motorcycle.  Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) is the recent actor rumored to star in Warner Bros’. attempt to translate the cyberpunk science fiction film.  It is being given a budget of $90 million and is planning to begin shooting next Feb. or March.  The current script is penned by Steve Kloves (Harry Potter and the upcoming The Amazing Spiderman).  Fans of the book and subsequent animated movie will undoubtedly question whether or not Hedlund will be playing Kaneda or Tetsuo.  One is the tough guy leader of the gang, the other is a picked-upon gang member who becomes a victim to government experiments.  We will have to see as this story develops further.  To get you in the mood for the live-action version, I have attatched the anime trailer below.

This trailer has the original music from the film compared to others you might find online that incorporate fan infused music.  If you have never seen Akira, I cannot recommend this film enough.

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Source: Variety