Thor: Ragnarok Director Is Latest Name Attached To Live-Action Akira Movie

Akira is one of the best known anime and manga properties, and it is little wonder that Hollywood has been looking to make a live-action movie version for some time. Numerous directors have been considered for the project over the years, and the latest is Taika Waititi, whose next film is the upcoming Thor: Ragnarok.

As reported by Deadline, Waititi is in "negotiations" with Warner to helm a new movie adaptation of Akira. While this is far from a done deal, the fact that Waititi is having active talks with the studio means that the project is moving forward.

In March, it was reported that the latest directors under consideration were David Sandberg (Light's Out) and Daniel Espinosa (Life). Prior to that, Star Trek Beyond's Justin Lin was in talks, while Mad Mad director George Miller previously revealed that he was also approached by the studio.

In 2015, it was rumored that a trilogy was being planned, with Christopher Nolan involved at some level. Before that, The Shallows director Jaume Collet-Serra was attached--click here to see some concept art of this version. Deadline notes that a trilogy is still part of Warner's plan for Akira.

In 2012, the film actually reached the pre-production stage before the Vancouver productions offices were shut down by the studio.

The manga of Akira ran between 1982 and 1990, and is widely credited for popularising Japanese comic books internationally. Equally, the success of the 1989 movie version did much to introduce Western viewers to anime, and is now considered one of the finest sci-fi films ever made.