Warner Bros. live-action Akira film finally has a director and a set release date of May 21, 2021. Thor: Ragnarok director Taika Waititi will adapt the acclaimed manga turned anime feature film with Leonardo Dicaprio‘s production company serving as producer.
The news arrives a day after news broke of Waititi stepping away from direction Netflix‘s biopic about Bubbles, Michael Jackson’s pet chimpanzee. The film is expected to go head-to-head that weekend with the recently announced John Wick: Chapter 4 as its current installment is number 1 in the box office at the moment.
A live-action adaptation of Akira has been in the works for years and is poised to follow the manga story closer than the anime did. However, the story’s original setting of Neo-Tokyo will be changed to Neo-Manhattan, among other modifications.
In other entertainment news, fans are trying to get a sequel to Solo: A Star Wars Story greenlit.
Taika Waititi’s #Akira sets 2021 release date https://t.co/YbtTciuLIg
— Hollywood Reporter (@THR) May 24, 2019
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