It was only in 2008 when Warner Bros. finally acquired the film rights to "Akira", a Japanese manga-turned-animated film which was popular in 1988. Since then, the studio has had its share of difficulties seeing the project to fruition.
According to Den of Geek, Christopher Nolan - known for the "Dark Knight" trilogy and "Interstellar" - is said to be taking the driver's seat for the Warner Bros. planned "Akira" trilogy. Reportedly, the 45-year-old director met with another unnamed director to discuss the conception of the said project for the past few months.
Meanwhile, Metro mentioned about Leonardo DiCaprio's Appian Way to spearhead the production and that Nolan might either be the producer or director, although there's yet to be any confirmation about this.
Since Nolan's humble beginnings as a small-budget director, he has paved his way to work bigger projects. And as far for the storyline of "Akira", it follows a motorcycle gang in a futuristic, post-apocalyptic Neo-Tokyo setting - one that can be described as a combination of "Blade Runner" and "Tron: Legacy."
Screen Rant explained that the major reason this project had trouble getting off the ground was due to the financial expenses associated with undertaking such production. However, with a high-profile filmmaker that is Nolan, getting a studio to sign off on a large budget may not be as quite difficult as it can be.
The publication added that the director seemed to be more interested with films that are made from original concepts or ideas. But, that's not to say that Nolan doesn't have what it takes to make "Akira" a big franchise.
Meanwhile, Christopher's brother, Jonathan Nolan, was rumored to rewrite a draft of the film - that's two Nolan brothers basically. Nevertheless, it remains vague as to whether or not the renowned director will end up directing "Akira."
What do you think about Nolan getting his hands on directing "Akira"? Do you believe it's about time that a live-adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's manga and anime will hit the big screen? Let us know in the comments section below.
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