"Blade Runner meets City of God": the movie is a GO!

Firstshowing reports that the AKIRA live-action movie has been given the official-GO, with 2 films planned (!) - with the first movie aiming for a summer 2009-launch (!!)

described as "Blade Runner meets City of God" - the film is primarily going to be adapted from anime artist Katsuhiro Otomo's graphic novel more than the original 1988 anime movie, with each movie based on 3 of the 6 volumes of Otomo's graphic novels.

Irish filmmaker Ruairi Robinson will helm the movies, while CBR reports that Leonardo DiCaprio "will produce the Warner Bros. film via his Appian Way company, with writer Gary Whitta (former Editor-in-Chief, PC Gamer) penning the screenplay." ... Greg Silverman is overseeing for Warners. Otomo is executive producing. Legendary Pictures is co-financing.


Hollywood Reporter mentions that the new story will take place in "New Manhattan," 'a city rebuilt by Japanese money', instead of the Neo-Tokyo we all lurved in the book.

and while i have no disillusions the product may deviate far from what we have come to lurve (speaking for myself, of coz), so too am i looking forward to another envisioning / variation of what i may become, becoz frankly to totally adapt the existing comicbook or anime may be a tad boring, and worst case? defile the animation, IMHO :)