George Miller, Christopher Nolan, Justin Lin, Jordan Peele, and even Atlanta’s Hiro Muari have been recently linked/rumored for meeting with Warner Bros. to direct their Akira movie.
While it sounds like everyone is seemingly passing on the project, Hiro Murai had some advice for the studio during an interview with IndieWire. Suggesting the studio steer clear of whitewashing the property’s Asian roots and characters, something they’ve been keen on for a very long time as revealed by casting shortlists and concept artwork.
“Not just because of the backlash lately, but that story is so tied to post-war Japan and ideology,” he said in an interview with IndieWire. “I think it’d be a shame, it’d be a missed opportunity [to cast non-Asians].”
While Warner Bros. has been meeting with directors for Akira, they haven’t set production or release dates for the project. You can read my IGN article on the 15 year journey Warner Bros. has been on trying to make a live-film by clicking here.
SOURCE: INDIEWIRE