Jordan Peele explains why he won’t direct Akira

Last Updated on July 31, 2021

Some time ago we reported on how Jordan Peele was reportedly being sought to direct the live-action version of AKIRA, which has taken years to get off the ground. Though some thought he could do a good job, having earned a big-budget project after GET OUT, many were worried it would interfere with him doing original content. Well, it turns out Peele agrees with the latter group, and has decided he won’t take up the job.

While speaking at an event for the release of GET OUT on Blu-ray, Peele brought up the subject of taking on the remake of the anime classic, citing that though it’s one of his favorite films he wants to be able to do his own stuff:

I think [I could do it] if the story justifies it. AKIRA is one of my favorite movies, and I think obviously the story justifies as big a budget as you can possibly dream of. But the real question for me is: Do I want to do pre-existing material, or do I want to do original content? At the end of the day, I want to do original stuff.

GET OUT is the highest-grossing original directorial debut of all-time, a feat that was helped by virtually universal acclaim for tackling modern day social anxieties inside an original horror film. Since then Peele has signed a first-look deal with Universal, all while the question of a sequel/prequel looms in the background. Though it would make financial sense to make one, Blumhouse CEO Jason Blum is not pushing him to make another one:

We’ve managed to do sequels to almost every one of the hits that we’ve had, and this is the first movie where I just cannot imagine what the sequel would be. So if Jordan came up with an idea of what he wanted to do as a sequel to the movie, of course we would do it… but I’m not encouraging him to do that, I and I really can’t conceive of what it would be. I don’t think it’s the kind of movie where you push Jordan to come up with another one. If it organically happens, it happens, but I don’t think anything good would come of forcing it to happen… and I don’t think that’s always the case. There are plenty of directors where I’m like, “Dude, you’ve gotta make one.”

To date GET OUT has made $214 million dollars worldwide (on a $4 million budget), and though I figured he could do a great job with the material, Peele should rightfully be working on his own material. The man has a clear, distinct voice that Hollywood could really use right now, and obviously it's already paying off. Whatever he does in the future will be something to look out for, whether it's a big-budget action fest or an indie drama. Who am I kidding? Do GET OUT 2!

GET OUT arrives on Blu-ray May 23 and is out on digital now.