Rumors starting to circulate online that Zac Efron of High School Musical fame was offered to play the motorcycle riding lead, Shotaro Kaneda of the Hollywood remake of the classic cyberpunk anime film, Akira.
Akira is based on a six-volume manga created by Katsuhiro Otomo which was later adapted into an anime flick. In Akira, set n the futuristic post-war city of Neo Tokyo, year 2019, Shotaro Kaneda is the leader of a delinquent teenage motorcycle gang, and the protagonist of the film. His second-in-command, Tetsuo, encounters a wizened old child during the middle of a deadly fight, and acquires extraordinary psychic abilities. Over time, his mental state deteriorates as his power grows, and Shotaro is forced to stop his friend from destroying Neo Tokyo.
Earlier screenplay of the said film was set to take place on New Manhattan and will still feature the film's iconic red motorcycle. Not much has been disclosed about the production, since it is still at its developing stages, but interestingly, Joseph Gordon-Levitt (Inception) was rumored to play Tetsuo. However, his agency quickly denied the actor’s involvement.
As for the casting of the said film, here's an excerpt of from a previous posting by Russ Fischer:
No cast has ever publicly revealed to be attached. The involvement of Appian Way led many to suspect that DiCaprio would star as the teen biker Kaneda, despite being demonstrably too old for the part, but the actor publicly denied any involvement beyond producing duties. Joseph Gordon-Levitt was rumored to be in mind for Tetsuo, the friend of Kaneda whose psychic powers are awakened, setting of a cataclysmic chain of destructive events in Neo-Tokyo. He also denied any attachment.
For starters, I haven't watched the original Akira film since I do not know a site where I can watch it. For the casting of Zac as Shotaro, knowing his musical roles, I am not sure if he fits the bill. I mean come on, back then he was rumored to play as Light Yagami for a Death Note live-action Hollywood remake! If I would based it on history, John Travolta was on a musical yet his roles in action flicks are good. Let's just hope and pray that Zac is not Shotaro... but if HE IS Shotaro, then let's just hope that he will not screw up fan expectations. Dragonball Evolution, anyone?