RUMOR: James Franco In Talks For Akira?

JustJared known for celebrity gossip/photos and not movie news is reporting that James Franco is in talks for Akira which is setup at Warner Bros. The live-action adaptation of the massively popular manga and anime film will be directed by the Hughes Brothers (Book of Eli, From Hell). They go on to say that he'll have to choose between Akira, Oz, The Great & Powerful and ten other mentioned films. There has been talk for over a year that Joesph Gordon-Levitt (Inception, Dark Knight Rises) could also have a role in the film. Of course this is a rumor and until it's confirmed by a reliable site or source it's just a cool thought. I wouldn't have pegged Franco as leading man for an event film like this until he jumped on board for Rise of The Apes last year.


Two things that make me skeptical about the news. First Franco has been mentioned for so many roles it's unlikely most of these stories are even true. Second is that Warner Bros. is way too busy to start another big event film like Akira so soon. They're currently financing Sherlock Holmes 2, Hugo Cabret, two Hobbit films, The Dark Knight Rises, Superman, Jack The Giant Killer, Logan's Run, Dark Shadows and later in the year Mad Max: Fury Road. If this turns out to be true don't expect it to shoot anytime soon.