Deadline has just recently reported that the Hollywood live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira is now shaping out to start filming this August as the newly revised script done by Steve Kloves (Harry Potter films) has just been sent to a short list of actors!
Accordingly, the scripts for Tetsuo, Kaneda's friend who was abducted by the government due to a research were sent to Robert Pattinson (Twilight Series, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire), Andrew Garfield (The Amazing Spider-Man 2012 film) and James McAvoy (X-Men: First Class).
As for Tetsuo's friend, the bike gang leader Kaneda, the scripts were send to Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy), Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class), Chris Pine (Star Trek), Justin Timberlake (The Social Network) and Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line). The two leads are expected to come from that group of actors.
As for Tetsuo's friend, the bike gang leader Kaneda, the scripts were send to Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy), Michael Fassbender (X-Men: First Class), Chris Pine (Star Trek), Justin Timberlake (The Social Network) and Joaquin Phoenix (Walk the Line). The two leads are expected to come from that group of actors.
The story takes place in the rebuilt New Manhattan where a leader of a biker gang saves his friend from a medical experiment. Akira has been one of Warner Bros' high priority projects since the studio with Legendary Pictures acquired it for a 7-figure sum 2 years ago from manga publisher Kodansha. The intention has been to make 2 films, each covering 3 books in the series.