Soon after their hit The Book of Eli was released, brothers Allen and Albert Hughes confirmed their next project would be a live-action adaptation of the popular manga Akira for Warner Brothers. Written by Albert Torres (Henry Poole is Here), with work by Mark Fergus, Hawk Ostby and Gary Whitta, the film has yet to actually get a greenlight and no word yet if the original idea of a two-part adaptation is still in the works. The series was already made in an animated film by Katsuhiro Otomo.

With the film looking to shoot next year, Bloody Disgusting is reporting that Morgan Freeman (The Shawshank Redemption, RED) is “circling” the role of Colonel. It was also reported last week that Zac Efron (Charlie St. Cloud, Me and Orson Welles) has been offered the role of gang leader Shotaro Kaneda. Check out a synopsis of the story below.

The story was set in a neon-lit futuristic post-nuclear war “New Tokyo” in 2019 where a teen biker gang member is subjected to a government experiment which unleashes his latent powers. The gang’s leader must find a way to stop the ensuing swathe of destruction.

I have yet to see the anime, but Efron and Freem definitely seem like an odd couple. I think Efron shows real promise, but it would be a stretch to see him as a gang leader. With absolutely nothing signed yet and the film not even greenlit, I would bet this cast would change.

Are you a fan of Akira? Do you think these two actors would fit?

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