Leonardo DiCaprio’s live-action Akira finally happening!

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

I'm not the world's biggest anime fan but even I am a huge fan of Katsuhiro Otomo's adaptation of his own 6-volume classic graphic novel AKIRA. And today it looks like the long-awaited live-action version may be coming soon! The details are a bunch of hoobamagoo but the gest of it is that California has just given the movie $18 million in tax incentives.  

Leonardo DiCaprio will be producing this new version of the classic story and director Taika Waititi (THOR: RAGNAROK) is still rumored to be attached as director. On top of this new info, we're also hearing that the movie will shoot entirely in California over 71 days coming up soon. 

Ravi Mehta, Warner Bros. Pictures EVP of physical production and finance said:

We are thrilled with the opportunity to shoot Akira in California. The availability of top-notch crew members, plus the wide variety of location choices and predictable weather are second to none.

The original anime AKIRA was released on December 25, 1989 here in the U.S. and followed this synopsis:

In 1988 the Japanese government drops an atomic bomb on Tokyo after ESP experiments on children go awry. In 2019, 31 years after the nuking of the city, Kaneda, a bike gang leader, tries to save his friend Tetsuo from a secret government project. He battles anti-government activists, greedy politicians, irresponsible scientists and a powerful military leader until Tetsuo's supernatural powers suddenly manifest. A final battle is fought in Tokyo Olympiad exposing the experiment's secrets.

Once again, producer Leonardo DiCaprio and director Taika Waititi's live-action AKIRA will shoot entirely in California over 71 days sometime in the near future. We'll keep you up to date as we hear more.