Posted on Wednesday, February 17th, 2010 by David Chen
In this week’s episode of the /Filmcast, David Chen, Devindra Hardawar, and Adam Quigley discuss their thoughts on upcoming renditions of Akira and the Riddick franchise, lavish some love on Adam Reed’s Archer, and see the return of Adam Quigley’s much-loved “Shit movie of the week” segment. Special guest Dan Eckman, whose film Mystery Team is now available for pre-order, joins us for this episode.
You can always e-mail us at slashfilmcast(AT)gmail(DOT)com, or call and leave a voicemail at 781-583-1993. Join us next week on Monday night at 9 PM EST / 6 PM PST at Slashfilm’s live page as we review Shutter Island.
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This is unexpected. Evidently Warner Bros. really liked what Albert and Allen Hughes did with The Book of Eli, because the brothers are reportedly finalizing a deal to direct the long-discussed live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga Akira. Originally floated in early 2008 as a two-part film to be directed by Ruairi Robinson, the films were put off by the WGA strike, then the scripts took forever to crack and the project was reported dead. In September of last year the Akira remake was said to be alive and well, and that brings us to this interesting point. Did the Hughes Brothers show the proper chops in The Book of Eli to pull this off? Read More »
Warner Bros’ live-action adaptation of Akira is not dead afterall. Collider has confirmed that screenwriters Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby are hard at work on the project.
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The live-action adaptation of the classic anime Akira is dead, according to a report from Bloody Disgusting. The film has been in the hands of Warner Brothers and Leonardo DiCaprio’s production company Appian Way for some time, and Gary Whitta (The Book of Eli) has been working to crack the script. The plan, reportedly, was to craft two films in order to preserve the scope of the massive manga by Katsuhiro Otomo (who co-wrote and directed the anime, as well) with Ruairi Robinson directing. But Robinson is now said to be off the project, which is also ‘dead as a doornail’. Read More »
I love my 2001 tin-case DVD release of Akira, but since word hit the street that the film was getting a high-definition Bluray restoration I’ve been aching to learn how it was going to be improved. A recent post over at Blu-ray.com sheds some light on this highly anticipated release, and thankfully, it sounds like we’re getting more than just a higher-resolution version of the 2001 Akira release.
From the site:
Even though AKIRA had major restoration work done for the 2001 DVD release, including a 1080p theatrical quality master, advances in digital restoration and film transfer technologies have increased to the point where a brand new transfer was warranted. As with the audio, a new inter-positive was struck from the original film negative for a new scan into a digital intermediate (DI); the master computer file upon which all of the remastering work was performed.
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Let’s face it. As far as superpowers go, the ability to move things with your brain is pretty awesome. Sure, flying is cool, turning invisible would have fun benefits, and super-strength could always come in handy. Plus it’s a lot cooler than all the “problem” superpowers, like having your entire body burst into flame, turning into some disgusting creature, or having your power be that you’re just extremely fat, and bouncy, like the Blob.
It’s just not the first power that leaps into people’s minds when they get asked, “If you could have one superpower, what would it be?” Maybe because that other stuff is too sexy. However, it’s the real thinking man or woman who chooses telekinesis, because once you realize the full potential of that power, you’ll wonder how you ever lived without it. As the telekinetic Push opens up this weekend, read on for an ultra-brief history of telekinesis, and find out how it’s affected cinematic history.
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The American Akira
The Pitch: Harry Partridge has come across the initial animatics for Hollywood’s upcoming American remake of Akira. Thanks to /film reader Christopher M for the tip.
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What a strange day for Warner Bros. First, rumors explode today that they’re giving the heave-ho to Spike Jonze’s Where the Wild Things Are, and now word arrives that they’ve greenlit two ambitious live-action films based on the landmark Japanese manga and anime Akira, with Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way producing. Mere rumor is he may star as the lead character, Kaneda, in the franchise, which will be set in New Manhattan, “a new metropolis rebuilt after being destroyed 31 years earlier.” The first film is being fast tracked for summer 2009.
After months of speculation, young Irish director Ruairi Robinson (pronounced Raw-Ree) will direct. We’ve included two of his rather violent, trippy, head-shot lovin’ short films, Fifty Percent Grey and The Silent City, below, so as for you to get acquainted. Variety reports that the filmmakers pitched the flicks as “Blade Runner meets City of God,” which is a modestly fitting description for the 1988 film, a kinetic, dystopian vision where young motorcycle gangs roam Neo-Tokyo (rather than New Manhattan) post-nuclear war and all hell breaks loose when one is exposed to a government experiment, thus gaining menacing powers.
Update: AICN reports that Joseph Gordon Levitt has been cast in the role Tetsuo, the motorcycle gang member who develops aforementioned menacing psychokinetic powers. They also report as if Leonardo DiCaprio is definitely a lock for the lead character of Kaneda.
The films will be adapted from creator Katsuhiro Otomo’s six volume manga, which provides far more storyline, characters and franchise potential than the classic anime adaptation alone. This news has been a long time coming, so it’s cool to see how inspired and charged-up it is, especially with Robinson’s involvement. I’m not too big on remaking old visions of the world’s future, but it’s Akira, so hey, it’s an exception. View his short films after the jump.
The Silent City
Fifty Percent Grey
