Already subjected to rewrites over concerns for its spiralling cost, Warner Bros’ recent closure of their Vancouver production office to save money has resulted in the forthcoming Akira movie being postponed until they can get the budget down to $70 or $60 million from an estimated $90 million.
Directed by Orphan and House Of Wax‘s Jaume Collet-Serra and starring Tron: Legacy‘s Garrett Hedlund as bike gang leader Kaneda (he obvious has a thing for sci-fi motorbikes), Helena Bonham-Carter and Ken Watanabe were also being courted for roles in the live action adaptation of the 1988 anime epic.
David Dobkin’s Arthur & Lancelot, which stars Gary Oldman and Game Of Thrones‘ Kit Harington, is also affected.
Akira doesn’t seem like a film you can cut corners on, and with an already sceptical fanbase still needing to be convinced, does this poor movie stand a chance?
