Warner Bros. has been trying to make a live-action adaptation of the manga/anime Akira since 2002 and they have lost plenty of directors over the last fifteen years.
Now, Deadline reports that Thor: Ragnarok’s Taika Waititi in talks to direct the film.
Just be wary, as Get Out’s Jordan Peele was recently linked only to pass on it days later. The studio is having a big problem nailing down a director, which might be due to their attempts to whitewash the Japanese characters and setting.
It’s exciting and promising news if they can land him and also keep the Japanese aspects intact, considering the bad press from recent whitewashings with Ghost In The Shell and Hellboy the public is now aware when studios attempt to erase Asian characters.
When the film was about to go into production two incarnations ago, the studio was looking only casting white actors to play the main roles of these importantly Japanese characters. We’ll be keeping an eye to see if Warner Bros. stupidly decides on casting white actors in those roles.
There isn’t a release date or production start expected for the film, but the studio had considered making a three-part epic.
SOURCE: DEADLINE