UPDATED: Zac Effron Offered The Lead In Akira

UPDATED: Zac Effron Offered The Lead In Akira

Is Zac Effron going to star in the live-action adaptation of the manga and anime classic Akira?

Scoop
By MarkCassidy - Nov 05, 2010 09:11 AM EST
Filed Under: Akira
Source: /Film

It's just a rumor for the time being, but word is that Zac Effron has been offered the lead role(I assume that's Kaneda) in the upcoming live action version of the popular manga/anime, Akira. /Film's Peter Sciereta says..

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.”



To be honest, if this did come to pass I wouldn't be at all surprised. It seems like this adaptation is being taken in a fairly family friendly direction indeed. The project originated at WB through Leonardo Dicaprio's Appian Way production company. Irish director Ruairhi Robinson was originally going to direct. Since then the script has gone through a few hands, and numerous rewrites. Now Albert Hughes(of The Hughes Brothers) is in the driving seat, and last we heard from him he said he wants the first movie(he doesn't know if he will even stick around for the second instalment) to be brought in at a PG13. What better way to solidify that than to bring in Zac Effron as your lead. Maybe they can get Justin Bieber on board as Tetsuo?

UPDATE: Bloody Disgusting confirm that Effron has indeed been offered the lead. But its unknown if that is Kaneda or Tetsuo. Keep your eyes peeled for further updates.


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f4rrel
f4rrel - 11/5/2010, 9:50 AM
Let's hope he does not get the part at all
Ibz
Ibz - 11/5/2010, 9:59 AM
wait theres an akira movie being made wow i am so late
sweetre15
sweetre15 - 11/5/2010, 10:17 AM
*facepalm* Have they not learned from The Last Airbender and Dragonball Evolution with this racist casting?
AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 11/5/2010, 10:23 AM
No f*cking way!!! Over my dead body!!! I will not watch this film if Efron is Kaneda!!! That gotta be a joke?!! Please be a joke!!!
LEEE777
LEEE777 - 11/5/2010, 10:24 AM
LMAO!
marvel72
marvel72 - 11/5/2010, 10:25 AM
what a load shit,first off this should not be made unless its got a full japanese cast & crew.

i love akira from the manga & the first time i saw it on the anime video.

i suppose i'm gonna be called a racist,because of i want a full japanese cast.

when ever they americanise anime/manga it turns out shit.

speed racer
dragonball
avatar the last airbender
the priest
the guyver
Ibz
Ibz - 11/5/2010, 10:26 AM
this the 2nd manga/anime series that WB are developing now i find that interesting when they have the whole of dc to use
loganoneil
loganoneil - 11/5/2010, 10:26 AM
Oh HELL NO!!!!!! A fail of EPIC proportions...

Big Badaboom.
AlexDeLarge87
AlexDeLarge87 - 11/5/2010, 10:28 AM
Efron is ok actor but he is not Kaneda!!!
If they have to keep the american and english actors i say Joseph Gordon Levitt as Kaneda or Tetsuo! He is good choice for both roles! But i would totally prefer whole japanese cast!
Ranger14
Ranger14 - 11/5/2010, 10:29 AM
Akira must be R-rated in order to be worthy of translating properly to the big screen. Akira should not be "Americanized".

For the first time ever on here, I am going to say, "FAIL!"
fadawn
fadawn - 11/5/2010, 10:31 AM
Effron is not a bad actor. But this movie should never be made. He would be a better Jason Todd, getting beat to death with a crowbar. lol
zemus
zemus - 11/5/2010, 10:32 AM
It could be ok...

I right now am OK with Effron. I like 17 again, I liked Charlie St. Cloud. And honestly he has got a lot better at acting. I think he is up for the role. And forget the whole Asian cast. If its going to be made well (with the money into it and the effects that it deserves) it is going to have a mixed race cast, thems just the facts.
AngelAragiel
AngelAragiel - 11/5/2010, 10:34 AM
PG13? PG13? for real that's just insane, Akira should be rated R. And keep Efron away from, well, from any movie.
delatour
delatour - 11/5/2010, 10:35 AM
wow....speechless....gutted. This piece of new is all i can take, after the election, and the general state of this cluster [frick] that is America. they take my only childhood memory and rape it. Zach Efron....who knows mayb he will suprise us. but i'm with the racists, as a westerner (white) who enjoyed the original. Part of the the enjoyment was it being in neo tokyo with it's over the top back drop that could only occure in asia. Also the tone cannot be conveyed in a pg-13. sorry. i could already ward the producers this is going to fall short financially and artistically.
juggy4711
juggy4711 - 11/5/2010, 10:36 AM
An Americanized, family friendly Akira? I'll probably pass on seeing that.
sweetre15
sweetre15 - 11/5/2010, 10:37 AM
Even in the earlier scripts Kaneda was supposed to be Japanese but Tetsuo be renamed Travis. I at one point wanted to give this a chance but if Efron plays Kaneda.......They fricked up.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 11/5/2010, 10:48 AM
I respect the fact that Effron is trying to get away from High School Musical and be taken seriously as an actor..but he can [frick]ing do it somewhere else! Stick to shite like the life and death of cloudy saint charlie! I can take Akira being Americanized as long as it stays true to the concept/story for the most part, but PG13 is simply insanity.
MatchesMalone
MatchesMalone - 11/5/2010, 11:02 AM
Americans as a whole just can't stand adult themed animation. It's like just because it was a cartoon, they have to PG-13 it to make it "safe". Btw, I'm American and I've never seen Akira all the way through, but I know a lot of people that are fans of this property and I really feel for them if this comes to pass.
crazyray
crazyray - 11/5/2010, 11:13 AM
Im not normally one for the hystrionics, but seriously... WTF!?!?!?! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! Jesus H. JUMPED UP CHRIST. America... wow. We can't appreciate another culture unless it fits in our skewed perspective of what the culture should be. SH!T. If this comes to pass, the end of times are just around the corner.
@Logan- funny as hell
@Intruder- diggin the profile pic.
cole33
cole33 - 11/5/2010, 11:16 AM
There is NOTHING pg-13 about Akira, it's an adult story it an adult theme, there's nothing family friendly about it, it's a brutal violent story.

If they Americanize it, which I'm sure they will, I like Joseph Gorden Levitt, for Tetsuo, and there was a rumor that Dicaprio was going to be Kaneda which I could see.

But Kaneda was a lucky bad ass, I don't see efron in that role.
sweetre15
sweetre15 - 11/5/2010, 11:21 AM
@Intruder: Atleast Dicaprio promised a Japanese cast for Ninja Scroll.
jazzman
jazzman - 11/5/2010, 11:35 AM
this is a fricking joke Hollywood leave Akria alone

this is how a Hollywood Akria will look like

jazzman
jazzman - 11/5/2010, 11:58 AM
@Intruder

Hollywood should do a film that is just influence by Manga/Anime i.e. Matrix is it own original Hollywood version.

the major problem with this Akria film its the cast and it also going to be a PG-13 movie
tonytonychopper
tonytonychopper - 11/5/2010, 12:16 PM
The dark knight was pg13, it doesn't mean anything. Most likely it will get ruined because Hollywood fails to realise yet again that stick to source material = success, they've only just learnt their ways in the western comic book to movies thanks to batman begins and iron man. But hell you never know they may do it right, and as far as zac being cast into it, he's a talented actor, yeah he's done lame films but [frick] I would for the money involved.
Wolfman22
Wolfman22 - 11/5/2010, 12:23 PM
jon foo for kaneda EFF YAA!!!
jazzman
jazzman - 11/5/2010, 12:25 PM
@tonytonychopper

who cares The Dark Knight was a PG-13 it made sense its a PG-13. Akria is no way a PG-13 type of movie. i like TDK but people need to stop saying oh it does not matter if its a PG-13 cause the TDK is a PG-13. Terminator Salvation was a PG-13 and look what happen to that.

Zac Effron as Kaneda would be a fail he has a long way to prove he can be a badass like Kaneda.

@Intruder

when did i say Effron should be consider for the role lol

the reason why i said the Matrix is because at least it their own original Manga style of film instead of Hollywood f-up the true classic Manga/Anime film we love i.e. Guyver, Akria, etc.

@Wolfman22

Jon Foo cant actor
P862010
P862010 - 11/5/2010, 12:40 PM
Efron is a good actor i think he fits the role pretty well

get Jamie Bell for Tetsuo
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 11/5/2010, 12:45 PM
Exactly. He may have some modicum of talent playing little rom com/dram pansies, but could you honestly imagine him as a hardened street punk like Kaneda? If he accepts the role I will of course wait to be proven wrong, but I won't be happy waiting!

As for the source material, actually the anime took plenty of liberties with the original manga itself. In fact, the last third was almost completely rewritten. And as much as I love it, didn't actually make complete sense! The comic is gold though. This movie/movies are supposed to be direct adaptations of them and not a live action remake of the anime. The American setting CAN work. They just need to establish a strong Japanese influence like Blade Runner.
P862010
P862010 - 11/5/2010, 12:46 PM
hardened street punk ? lol

kaneda in the anime was a pretty boy himself
ThomYorke
ThomYorke - 11/5/2010, 12:51 PM
my god are they still making this?
Bandrews1
Bandrews1 - 11/5/2010, 12:53 PM
I like Zac Efron as an actor, but seeing him playing Kaneda, hell no.
MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 11/5/2010, 12:55 PM
Yes p86, a pretty boy that regularly engaged in bike gang warfare and beat people half to death. It just screams Effron doesn't it?
sweetre15
sweetre15 - 11/5/2010, 12:56 PM
Ok Hollywood, here is an idea how about having asian actors play asian characters? Is that so hard?
sweetre15
sweetre15 - 11/5/2010, 12:57 PM
@Rormachine: LOL
P862010
P862010 - 11/5/2010, 12:58 PM
anime can make girls in mini skirts bad ass

whats your point

Efron is a good actor so i think he will do well
crazyray
crazyray - 11/5/2010, 1:05 PM
@intruder- I rocked the t-shirt HARD.
@EVERYONE- if you havent seen/basically comprehend Akira, dont talk bout whatcha don kno, see. ;P
Seriously- blood, guts, mutating/evolving humans that eat (through phagocytosis)other people, military experiments, the list goes on...BIKERS!!! (and not the Sons of Anarchy-type) come on, this is why i started watching anime in the first place. DO NOT DESTROY SOMETHING THAT IS GREAT. Fkn Hollywood.
jazzman
jazzman - 11/5/2010, 1:05 PM
@RorMachine

Legend LOL

@Intruder

my bad lol

yeah its a insult for people want Akira to be a PG-13 its not the same as TDK.

this is the best badass performace Zac Efron has done


MarkCassidy
MarkCassidy - 11/5/2010, 1:18 PM
Aaaaand, this won't be an anime will it? That's my point. The character of Kaneda needs to have a certain edge to him. In a live action version of Akira this dude would be miscast..as anyone! Just my opinion, but if you have seen a performance of his that offers evidence to teh contrary lets hear it.
crazyray
crazyray - 11/5/2010, 1:34 PM
@Ror- dude, he was EPIC is High School Musical 3. End of argument right there...
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