The adaptation of a classic manga is inching closer to reality. Taika Waititi’s live-action Akira film finally gets a release date from Warner Bros.
The studio officially announced on Friday that Akira opens May 21, 2021. With Taika Waititi at the helm, this adaptation is expected to pull straight from the source material. Although he is known for his comedic tendencies in his work, he should be able to blend them into the dark story. This year’s Jojo Rabbit will find Waititi return to a smaller film after the mega-hit laugh fest Thor: Ragnarok and back to his roots.
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Along with attempting to stick close to the original story, it is expected that Waititi will cast Asian actors in the lead roles. Speaking to IGN back in 2017, the director stated, “Yeah. Actually Asian teenagers would be the way to do it for me and probably no, not, like no name, I mean sort of unfound, untapped talent. Yeah, I’d probably want to take it a bit back more towards the books.” It is not clear when the film begin production, but it seems to be the next feature project for the acclaimed director.
Do you think Taika Waititi is the right choice for the beloved manga? Let us know in the comments below!
Akira is set to hit theaters May 21, 2021.
