Warner Brothers is planning to make two live action films based upon manga/anime cult classic Akira. I hope that the mention of “New Manhattan” is a mistake in the report, but I don’t hold out much hope. Give the Japanese classic to a US film company and it’s no longer Tokyo that gets razed (twice) but the city that never sleeps gets yet another wake up call.

I’d be lying if I said I won’t go to see these films. That’s what Orange wednesdays are for. However, I don’t expect them to be good adaptations. And they’ll undoubtedly sanitise the collateral damage, depicted in manga and anime, that comes from flattening a major city, even though the aftermath of all that destruction is a key part of the second part of the series.

Now I’m going to have to lose a day re-reading the original manga. Such a chore.

Update Rumour is that the film will star and be produced by Leonardo DiCaprio and the New Manhattan bit wasn’t a mistake. I’m feeling even less positive about it.

Akira Book 1, Akira Book 2, Akira Book 3 (currently out of stock at Amazon), Akira Book 4, Akira Book 5, Akira Book 6. Akira- The Ultimate Collect dvd

via io9