Warner and Leonardo DiCaprio will produce a live action film based on the Akira manga. There are two films planned, each spanning 3 volumes of the manga.
The films will have some changes to appeal to a western audience. The films will no longer take place in Neo-Tokyo, but rather “New Manhattan”. The film will be Directed by Ruairi Robinson, and a script is being written by Gary Whitta. No actors have been announced yet.
Warner Bros had the rights to Akira before, but lost them before they produced a movie. The rights had to be reacquired from Kodansha, a manga publisher, for a reported 7 figure sum.
The first movie is currently set to air in the Summer of 2009.
Source: ANN
