Jaume Collet-Serra Talks AKIRA Vision And Reaffirms Trilogy

Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra's is slowly rising to the level of studio blockbuster. His first batch of films included horror flicks House of Wax and Orphan, the usual type of films a new director get's offered in Hollywood. He's recently found a muse in Liam Neeson directing him in the awfully dull Unknown, this weekend's trapped-on-a-plane thriller Non-Stop and action flick Run All Night.

Non-Stop hits theatres this weekend, and I've actually heard nothing but positive things about it. Bloggers such as Devin (BadassDigest), El Mayimbe (LatinoReview) and Frosty (Collider), have given brief but positive reactions from their recent screenings. Folks like these usually have a good radar for poorly made films, so their keenness for the film is a good sign.

Why it a good sign? Before Non-Stop and Run All Night were put into production, Jaume was attached to direct Warner Bros' live-action Akira adaptation back in 2011. A much beloved manga and anime film, which some consider the best in both mediums. The budget had been reduced a couple of times, but the $90 million was too expensive for the studio. The director would confirm last year that he was still going ahead with directing Akira, after he completed Run All Night. He talked to ComingSoon about his vision for the film, which might win over fans or just anger them (over comments of the "terrible" characters). Jaume also confirms previous talk of Akira being turned into a trilogy.


Collet-Serra: It's great that they're waiting for me. It's different, because you have to be respectful of the source material. Otomo adapted his own work from a manga into an anime and both things are completely different and genius. The only way to do a live version of "Akira" is to take the spirit and adapt it. It will be as different as the anime was from the manga.

CS: What worries myself and a lot of the other fans of the property is you have elements that are commercial and sexy, like the motorbikes or the jaw-dropping futuristic backdrop, but for the most part it's a very cerebral work. How do you maintain the essence of that without diluting it into essentially "Blade Runner: Mark 2"?

Collet-Serra: I think you cannot make a movie about "Akira" and hope that everyone understands it. Like everything else, you have to make three or four movies in one where there's the essence somewhere. If you're a fan, you already know what it's about and you'll see it's part of the same world, but trying to oversimplify it would be a mistake. I think if at some point a character tries to explain it to the audience at the end of the second act, that's a problem. It's more like an existential opera. It's something that can only be explained in the manga, and even in the anime it's hard to follow.

CS: And we all have that original anime, it's there, nothing can sully it, so if you were going to do it in live-action one would hope you would bring something new to the table. What is it you are bringing specifically that is going to make it yours?

Collet-Serra: I hope that I can bring strong characters. In the original source material, I don't think the main characters are the protagonists. What I'm hoping is to bring characters.

CS: That's true. It's one of those strange stories where you literally never see the main character that is the namesake of the film!

Collet-Serra: Nobody's interesting. Tetsuo's interesting because weird sh*t happens to him, and Kaneda is so two-dimensional. That's part of the Japanese culture, they never have strong characters. They're used as a way to move the other philosophy forward.

CS: They're ciphers.

Collet-Serra: Yeah. So hopefully in my version that will be strong, and you'll have a story that happens in that world that will show you a little bit of the mystery. Then, if you're interested, they'll make "Akira 2 & 3" then you can get deeper into it. I love the world, a lot of people love that world, so why wouldn't we indulge in it a little bit and see how it would be if it was real? Like you say I don't have to explain everything, but wouldn't you like to spend two-hours in a world of "Akira" and follow a character and be like, "that's cool"? That's all I want to offer, is two-hours in a world you can actually feel. We're working on it.


I wasn't convinced when Doug Liman (Bourne Identity, Mr And Mrs Smith) was hired to direct Edge of Tomorrow, which is another manga adaptation based on All You Need Is Kill. The recent trailer has sold me on the film. I'll hold off judgements on Jaume making Akira, until we see some footage and images from the project. Because it could be a very similar situation, and he might actually have an unique vision for the film. 

Casting has always been a bit of a hot-topic with Akira, as Warner Bros. was exclusively looking at young white actors. Whitewashing the cast and relocating the Japanese-set (very important to the story) story to Manhattan. At one point Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy, On The Road, Mojave, Unbroken, Inside Llewyn Davis) was offered the lead role (via Twitch) with Gary Oldman (Robocop, Dark Knight Trilogy, Dawn of The Planet of The Apes, Lawless) and Helena Bonham Carter (King's Speech, Terminator Salvation, Fight Club, Lone Ranger) also in the mix.

Hedlund recently tried to nab the John Connor role in Termination: Genesis, which would include a three-picture deal. He instead signed-on for the part of Hook in WB's Peter Pan origin film Pan from director Joe Wright (Hanna, Atonement), alongside Hugh Jackman as Blackbeard. Some are saying that Garrett might still be attached for Akira, but I'm not entirely convinced.


SOURCE: COMINGSOON

Director Jaume Collet-Serra In Talks To Resurrect Live-Action AKIRA Film

Variety reports that Warner Bros. is looking to bring their Akira live-action film out of development limbo with a little help from director Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown, Non Stop). The director is currently in talks with the studio to helm the troubled project. It's reported that production on Akira could begin as early as Spring 2014. Garret Hedlund was attached in the lead but it's unknown if he'll stay on as the film's lead.

Joel Kinnaman In Final Talks To Join Liam Neeson In ALL NIGHTER

THR reports that Swedish-American actor Joel Kinnaman (The Killing, Snabba Cash, Safe House) is in final talks to take a supporting role in Jaume Collet-Serra's thriller All Nighter. The Liam Neeson vehicle setup at Warner Bros. focuses on an aging hitman (Neeson) who is forced to take on his brutal former boss to protect his estranged son (Kinnaman) and his family. The son which would be played by Joel witnesses a murder and is targeted for elimination.

 Joel was last scene in Safe House and is looking at his own possible franchise with the Robocop remake coming out early next year. This will be the third film that director Jaume Collet-Serra and Liam Neeson have worked on. Firstly, the amnesia thriller The Unknown and plane hijack thriller Non-Stop which co-stars Nate Parker (an actor to keep an eye on).

Jaume Collet-Serra Could Replace Jeff Wadlow As Director Of 'NON-STOP' Starring Liam Neeson

Yesterday we learned that Jeff Wadlow will be writing and directing Kick-Ass 2 which called into question his involvement the director of Non-Stop. The new Liam Neeson actioner has him playing another grizzled badass forced to bring the noise during a threat on an international flight. ShowBlitz reports that Jaume Collet-Serra is now in talks with Dark Castle to take over directing duties. Jaume has previously worked with Neeson on the action film The Unknown.

Russell Crowe Could Star In Dracula Film Harker

Vulture reports on yet another project Aussie actor Russell Crowe could be joining. This time it's for Warner Bros' new take on the classic Stoker tale of Dracula titled Harker. Instead of Jonathan Harker being a lawyer he's a Scotland Yard detective investigating Dracula's murders in London. It seems to be a mix of Sherlock Holmes and Jack The Ripper which could be worthwhile reason to make another Dracula film. Crowe is in early talks to take the title role of Detective Harker. It's not a done deal yet as Crowe is also looking at starring in Darren Aronofsky's Noan this summer. However, a production start for Harker hasn't been announced so he could be able to do both.

Jaume Collet-Serra, (Unknown) who was originally attached to the project before agreeing to direct Akira has seemly come back to helm. Akira had a long string of problems from casting, budgets, directors and scripts. Warner Bros. put the project on hold. It looks the studio has given Jaume another task while they figure out what to do with Akira. I'm not shocked as Harker is a more viable/profitable project with an interesting take on the classic Dracula tale. Apparently the studio still wants to make Akira but Harker will go first.

Akira In Trouble, Script Issues And Budget Cuts

HeatVision reports that Warner Bros. is putting another project on ice until a new budget is worked out. Previously Aurthur And Lancelot had been on hold until a new budget was agreed upon. Akira is undergoing the same budget review. The project already had it's original budget (when director Albert Huges was attached) cut in half to a rather slim $90 million. Most tentpole comedies have a budget similar to that number. They report the studio wants that number trimmed to $60-70 I'm sure that is to cover marketing and advertising costs. Variety has it on good authority that the project-freeze is also because of Steve Kloves' (Harry Potter franchise) script which needs reworking and more development.

I can see where the studio is coming from Garrett Hundland is the only locked in actor and it's deviation from the source material has become volatile to the fanbase. I'm unsure Akira can be a success without support from fans of the manga/anime who are talking of boycotting the movie. Cutting the budget this aggressively gives the impression that the special effects budget of the film will be will likely suffer. I wouldn't be surprised to see this film look more contemporary and the science fiction elements also scaled back. Basically I assume this movie won't look anything like we understand to be from Akira.

Casting other roles has become another problem as names like Ken Watanabe, Kristen Stewart, Helena Bonham Carter have been mentioned but nobody has signed on. The biggest issue is that they haven't nailed down an actor for Testuo. Micheal Pitt (Boardwalk Empire), Toby Kebbell (RockNRolla), Paul Dano (There Will Be Blood) and Logan Marshall-Green (Prometheus) were linked for testing for the part but nothing has come from it yet. There have been rounds and rounds of casting tests which haven't been that productive.

Four Possible Actors In The Running For Akira's Tetsuo

Now that Garrett Hedlund is likely taking the role of Kaneda in Akira there is the possibility we already know who might be up for the second lead of Tetsuo. Hedlund was apart of casting group for his part and there was a second smaller group testing for Tetsuo. That group included James McAvoy (Wanted, X-Men First Class), Andrew Garfield (Amazing Spider-Man, Social Network) and Robert Pattinson. Joseph Gordon-Levitt had been linked for the role when it was originally reported Warner Bros. was going to develop the project.

I wouldn't count Joseph out of the race until an actual name is attached. He's been quietly gathering steam at the studio starring in Christopher Nolan's Inception and The Dark Knight Rises. Not to mention working with DiCaprio (who is a producer) on two films including Quentin Tarantino's upcoming Django Unchained. James McAvoy might be a good fit but he has sequels on the horizon that include Wanted 2 and a X-Men First Class sequel. Andrew Garfield might have a little more leeway than James as he only has Amazing Spider-Man 2 coming up which might go into production until the first film's box office numbers come back. It's expected that Akira will be starting production soon. While I don't entirely count out Robert Pattinson he is going to turn off the male audiences who attribute him to the quality bankrupt Twilight franchise. Not a good idea since there is already enough hate on this project without terrible casting choices.

Keira Knightley Also Linked For Akira

HeatVision is confirming previous reports that both Gary Oldman (The Colonel) and Garrett Hedlund (Kaneda) are wanted by Warner Bros. for Akira. Twitch and HeatVision both report Helena Bonham Carter is involved, she's been rumored for Lady Miyako. There are still a bunch of large parts still up for grabs and a fourth actor is now in the mix.

Someone new mentioned is Keira Knightley who is likely in mind for the role of Kei. A revolutionary who ends up helping Kaneda when his friend and fellow biker gang member Tetsuo is mixed up with military medical experiments. Knightley is best known internationally for her role as Elizabeth Swan in the original Pirates of The Caribbean trilogy. She's been itching for a new blockbuster as she's been testing for films like The Dark Knight Rises and Captain America The First Avenger recently. Keira previously played a rough and fast-talking bounty hunter in Tony Scott's Domino, so she might fit well in this role.

Warner Bros. Wants Gary Oldman For Akira And Arthur

Deadline reports that Warner Bros. is pursuing Gary Oldman for two roles in upcoming tentpoles. They confirm the previous report that Gary is wanted for the role of the Colonel in Jaume Collet-Serra's  Akira alongside front-runner Garrett Hedlund. The studio is also pursing him for the role of Merlin in David Dobkin's Arthur And Lancelot in which Joel Kinnaman is a favorite for Lancelot. There is a strong chance that Oldman could end up with an Oscar nomination for his performance in Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy. So it seems like a smart move on the part of Warner Bros. to lock him up for a bunch of projects. 

Garrett Hedlund Now In Official Talks For Akira

Variety reports that front-runner Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy, Troy) has been offered the role of Kaneda in Akira and is now in talks with Warner Bros. Hedlund had been in the running since the original group of actors were revealed. Twitch previously mentioned that Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter could be up for roles as well. It will be directed by Jaume Collet-Serra with a script from Steve Kloves (Amazing Spider-Man) who is best known for writing a majority of the Harry Potter screenplays.

Gary Oldman & Helena Bonham Carter Offered Roles For Akira?

Twitch is reporting that Warner Bros. have offered another two roles for Akira. This time is it's Gary Oldman for the role of the Colonel and Helena Bonham Carter as Lady Miyako. Neither are strangers to genre based projects and are darlings at the studio. Oldman and Carter previously worked together in the Harry Potter franchise. It's not out of the question that these heavy weight actors will end up in the film but it's simiply a rumor at this point. Morgan Freeman had long been rumored for the role that Oldman is being offered. Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy) apparently is the front-runner for one of the leads.

Akira Gets The Greenlight, Garrett Hedlund Front-Runner

Variety reports Warner Bros. have decided to move forward with the adaptation of Akira with a new budget of $90 million. It's a big change from the projected $200 million when Albert Hughes was involved. Jaume Collet-Serra the Spanish director best known for Unknown will be helming the project with Garrett Hedlund (Tron Legacy, Troy) as the front-runner.

Jaume Collet-Serra doesn't instill excitement but Garrett could be interesting. Otherwise my expectations for Akira have dropped tenfold. The only good thing seems like the digital effects will be very limited with a budget like this which could mean they'll go more practical. Let's just hope they end up pursing solid actors to fill out other roles.

F. Gary Gray In The Running To Direct G.I. Joe: Revenge of Cobra

LatinoReview has yet another interesting story this time focusing on G.I. Joe II: Revenge of Cobra. Stephen Sommers who directed the first film had previously left the franchise. It was expected as he struggled to get his vision of the film made while making Paramount nervous beyond belief. While the studio did make money from the movie they were ultimately unhappy with the final outcome. That being said Paramount has hired the screenwriting duo of Rhett Reese and Paul Wernick (Deadpool, Venom, Zombieland) to work on the sequel's script so they're already moving in the right direction.

LatinoReview reveals that three directors are in the running to helm the sequel F. Gary Gray, Jaume Collet-Serra and John Chu. F. Gary Gray is the best of the bunch mentioned as he an extensive resume of action films some good and some okay. They include The Negotiator, Set It Off, The Italian Job remake and Law Abiding Citizen. Gray was also in talks to direct Bruce Willis and Jamie Foxx in Kane & Lynch but seems to have moved on. Jaume Collet-Serra is rising director as he's just been tapped to direct Harker, a new take on Dracula for Warner Bros. His previous films include House of Wax, The Orphan and the upcoming thriller Unknown. Chu on the other hand is laughable as a candidate as he's only known for Step Up and the Justin Bieber film Never Say Never.