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NEWS: Hollywood Reporter: Warner Looks at 2 for Akira's Tetsuo




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GracieLizzy



Joined: 26 Sep 2006
Posts: 551
Location: Sunderland, England, UK
PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 6:14 am Reply with quote
Aside from the "Japanese/Not Japanese" debate... all of these people are WAY TOO OLD for the parts, I know Hollywood is all about Dawson Casting - i.e. teens being cast by older actors in their 20s but the second guy actually looks older than he actually is (I saw him and thought he was 25-30 not 21). Miller maybe looks passably believable at that age.

It seems they are shifting the ages up from 15. Maybe they don't think people will watch something that is fairly violent when the leads are so young, but the whole subtext of AKIRA, of the movie version at least (to me anyway) was youth rebellion against the status quo as set out by adults isn't it? And what happened if one of the disaffected youths gained absolute power and how it wound up consuming him? If they aren't high school age it really strikes me as... well... completely twisting the meaning of the movie. I could see it working with 18 years olds tops for the motorcycle gang members.

I take it Helena Bonham Carter has being approached to play Kei? Unless it's Kiyoko she's playing, Bonham Carter plays a good mysterious waif but again - way, way, too old for Kiyoko (spoiler[how she appears anyway, if the removed the 'the kids haven't age'd for 30 years' maybe but that was one of the eeriest things about them]) and she's not really right for Kei in my mind (except for the parts where she is possessed by Kikoyo I could see her doing those bits well but not so much others). Unless they have her voice acting a CGI Kiyoko which would... annoy me even though she's a very good voice actress CGIifying the kids would tick me off.

Kei should be played a little older than Kaneda mind you but not that much so. I always got the impression that Kei was in her early to mid twenties, perhaps as young as 18 in the anime movie - dunno about the manga. So if Kaneda was shifted up to 18 maybe around 23-24 would be right?
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Sheleigha



Joined: 09 May 2008
Posts: 1673
PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:11 pm Reply with quote
So seriously, is the movie still even being called "Akira" anymore? Or will they be getting the ONE Asian actor that exists in North America (since apparently there are none at all) to make an Akira cameo? My theory is that "Akira" will end up being a project name, or some "Japanese scientist that started everything" rather than a person. Who knows...
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silentjay



Joined: 12 Dec 2003
Posts: 304
PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 1:54 pm Reply with quote
Unlike most anime (well, manga, in this case) to live-action adaptations, I think this is one that could theoretically survive if done well. I doubt that Kaneda and Tetsuo will be the character names, but Akira likely will, and he'll be a young, creepy Japanese kid. (ie. Ju-On.) If the Seven Samurai can survive becoming The Magnificent Seven, and Sanjuro can survive becoming The Man with No Name, then Neo-Tokyo can survive becoming New Manhattan.

As for ages, make-up can do anything, so I won't base any opinions on out-of-context headshots. (Although, I guess Anton Yelchin's too expensive, and likely busy, for a $90 million movie. He'd fit for a Tetsuo-type.)

Edit: stupid touch pad.
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Ashen Phoenix



Joined: 21 Jun 2006
Posts: 2912
PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 2:18 pm Reply with quote
Damn, those are all actors whose work I've loved. I get that there's a metric truck load of debate, worry, pessimism, and controversy over this possible-film already, but I'm optimistic if they at least cast good actors and actresses for the roles.
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Sunday Silence



Joined: 22 Jun 2010
Posts: 2047
PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 3:03 pm Reply with quote
Sheleigha wrote:
So seriously, is the movie still even being called "Akira" anymore? Or will they be getting the ONE Asian actor that exists in North America (since apparently there are none at all) to make an Akira cameo? My theory is that "Akira" will end up being a project name, or some "Japanese scientist that started everything" rather than a person. Who knows...


Nononono, see, there are asian actors, just that....

If you want a Japanese Character, you hire a Chinese or a Korean.

Chinese? A Korean.

A Korean? Vietnamese.

Vietnamese? Some extras from Burma.

Someone that knows Kung-Fu or some other martial art? Hire a mixed-breed (that will include dashes of European and American) from the MMA.
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marcos torres toledo



Joined: 01 Sep 2009
Posts: 269
PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 7:02 pm Reply with quote
Have not seen either the manga too expendise and I did not see the anime except commercials for it on tv I should not comment on this. But here go's I just wish they would leave it in the original Japanese setting instead of Euroamericanize it as usual there is a world beyond the USA the audience for this movie is not stupid. Just hope this is not another Last Airbender at lest that and that was a American animation series but again hoping for the best but preparing for the worst as usual. Idea
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GATSU



Joined: 03 Jan 2002
Posts: 15317
PostPosted: Sat Nov 05, 2011 7:34 pm Reply with quote
Sunday: Well, they had no problem hiring Tadanobu Asano for Thor and Battleship...
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jtstellar



Joined: 13 Apr 2007
Posts: 94
PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 2:48 am Reply with quote
so.. what's the movie title? why don't they just call it something else but openly credit akira for inspiration in captions or something?
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enurtsol



Joined: 01 May 2007
Posts: 14771
PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 3:32 am Reply with quote
jtstellar wrote:
so.. what's the movie title?


We don't know for sure. It hasn't yet gone thru the dreaded Marketing Department. Laughing
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Beatdigga



Joined: 26 Oct 2003
Posts: 4378
Location: New York
PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 8:46 am Reply with quote
Just go with something that says "Genetics" in the title. That way no can get angry about Akira being butchered.
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Sunday Silence



Joined: 22 Jun 2010
Posts: 2047
PostPosted: Sun Nov 06, 2011 6:40 pm Reply with quote
jtstellar wrote:
so.. what's the movie title?


Horribly financed whitewashed asian movie.
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