According to Slashfilm, Zac Efron is in talks to to star in the film. Well, maybe. "I’m not able to confirm the offer, but one source tells me Efron is in talks, while another says that it is “far from a done deal," writes Slashfilm's Peter Sciretta. Following up on that lead, Bloody Disgusting has heard Morgan Freeman is up for the Colonel. Sounds like steam is picking up for the film, at the very least.

Akira in many ways is a commentary on modern (well 80s) Japan. The whole deal of rebuilding Japan from the ashes of a nuclear attack and hosting the olympics is an analogy for Japan's redevelopment WRITTEN IN LETTERS A MILE HIGH. And the concerns about kids becoming hooligans and in some cases a literal different species are very powerful to post war Japanese. It's one of the manga and anime that went out its way to make the Japanese characters look Japanese, rather than cartoony or non-racial.

Moving it to LA or wherever strips of its context.

I mean the name of film is @#$%ing AKIRA! If you're going to de-Japanese it why not rename it Alan?

Anyway... Rant over. I still might see it but I really wonder what the point is of getting the rights to one of the most famous Japanese anime ever and making it all-American.