Live Action Akira Gets New Writers

Some time ago, Leonardo DiCarpio's production shingle Appian Way bought the rights to develop a live action Akira pic, but the project had been thought dead in the water.

Breathing new life into the lungs of the adaptation is news that screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby (best name ever!), the typists behind Children Of Men and Iron Man (before Shane Black's worst-kept-secret doctoring duties) are chained to their laptops hard at work on a new script.

Fans are polarised as to whether a live action adaptation, especially a Hollywood produced one, is a bad idea or an awful one, especially when coupled with initial rumours of DiCaprio taking on lead acting duties alongside his production role.

Those rumors proved unfounded however, and though there were brighter ideas circulating in the form of a Joseph Gordon Levitt attachment, the writer's strike seemed to put the disc brakes frimly on the front wheel of the project.

Now, with two creditiable writers taking a crack at a script that barely worked in animated form, does this mean things are firmly back on track? We'd love to see the results of a big budget adaptation, but it may be a risk Hollywood is not willing to take on a niche comic property (remember Watchmen ?).

Time, as always, will tell. Until then, share your thoughts! Bad idea? Awful idea? Looking forward to it?