Firstshowing(via collider) is reporting that the live action Akira movie has been resurrected with new writers. Collider confirms that Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, the guys who previously wrote "Children of Men" and "Iron Man," have been working on the script.
Collider says that Fergus and Ostby are "about to turn in their version of an Akira movie" and have been "hard at work trying to get the script right." As for the story, apparently it's still set in a post-apocalyptic "New Manhattan" (as opposed to Tokyo in the anime), as was originally announced in 2008, and will include the iconic motorcycle.
If all goes well and the writers turn in a studio approved script, the movie could go into production in 2010 with a 2011 release date.
Being a huge fan of the Anime and the earlier cartoon version, I am a bit dubious about the Americanization of the location and characters. But if the script manages to be true to the essence of the story and still keep that Akira feel to it, then I'll be happy. So I'm going to remain optimistic about this one until further notice!
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Mark Cassidy is a writer, photographer, amateur filmmaker, and Rotten Tomatoes-approved critic from Dublin, Ireland.