'Akira' to Star Leo DiCaprio and Joseph Gordon Levitt
Filed under: Sci-Fi & Fantasy, Casting, Warner Brothers, RumorMonger, Comic/Superhero/Geek, Remakes and Sequels
Hours after Warner Bros and Leo DiCaprio grabbed Akira, we have the lead casting courtesy of Ain't It Cool News. If your first thought upon hearing that DiCaprio was producing was "I bet he stars in it, too," well, you would be right. DiCaprio will reportedly be playing the lead character, Kaneda.
Set to star opposite him as Tetsuo is Joseph Gordon-Levitt, who is well on his way to the A-List these days -- and will probably be the next a geek hero in the Christian Bale mold after G.I. Joe.
Again, I'm completely unfamiliar with the book, so you'll have to tell me whether this is casting perfection or a complete disaster. Both are fine young actors, so I can't imagine it is the latter, but I know how bitter a pill it can be to see a beloved character miscast. I'd also like to hear who else you would like to see added to the roster.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
2-21-2008 @ 9:52AM
indecks said...
This is terrible news. Akira is a Japanese story, and it should be played by Japanese actors. This is going to be just as bad as the live action Dragon Ball Z movie.
I think DiCaprio is a good actor, but I don't see him playing Kaneda.
Lastly, the name is not "Kuh-nay-dah" with the emphasis on the middle syllable. It's "Kah-neh-dah" with the emphasis on the first syllable. I just don't see American actors pronouncing Japanese names correctly in the movie - much less HAVING Japanese names.
$10 says 'Kaneda' will be shortened to 'Kane' (like pain).
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2-21-2008 @ 10:59AM
akaison said...
It's just going to come across as odd unless they Americanize it. It's like when they used to have white actors play Naitive Americans or blackfaces.
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2-21-2008 @ 11:22AM
Denise said...
I'm thinking Joseph Gordon-Levitt would be an alright Tetsuo, but I'm not quite sold on Leonardo just yet. We'll have to see what develops.
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2-21-2008 @ 11:30AM
Akbar Fazil said...
He would play Tetsuo perfectly, but there is no way a decent produceable script can be done with this.
Even the anime (which is awesome) is very weak in its actually story compared to the original manga.
2-21-2008 @ 11:37AM
brandonF said...
This is complete BS. Akira is a great story, a great JAPANESE story that takes place in TOKYO. The actors should be Japanese. This casting is an insult to my intelligence. Once again hollywood takes a film that should star two minority actors and cast white guys instead. As if I'm so devolved as to be completely unable to relate or identify with Asian lead actors.
Some might make the excuse that there just aren't enough Asian actors to choose from. Well how the hell are we supposed to get there from here if whenever a lead roll comes up that is WRITTEN for an Asian hollywood casts two white guys?
Seriously, they might as well be wearing blackface.
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2-21-2008 @ 12:08PM
stephen martin said...
I have to say that Akira is and ought to be a Japanese story.The story begins with the atomic bombing on Tokyo.
The characters are Japanese biker gangs on futuristic Japanese motorcycles.Even Japanese Shinto religion is involved in and out of the story.The Hollywood formula is going to ruin such a classic Japanese storytelling.
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2-21-2008 @ 12:10PM
Gretchen Nay said...
*cries quietly to herself in a corner* this is possibly the worst thing I've heard today. Akira is one of my favorite animes, although I haven't read the book, so I can't compare. But the idea of leo play Kaneda....no. Just...no!
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2-21-2008 @ 1:15PM
eugene said...
Well, if they completely localize it, like they did with Departed, it might not be so bad. Other than, Leo is WAY too old looking to play a high school deliquent bike gang leader.
But if they don't localize it... and they place it in Japan, filled with white actors who they think look "exotic" or "oriental", well... it will just re-affirm my belief that asians are the only minority hollywood thinks is okay to belittle and demean.
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2-21-2008 @ 1:23PM
Martin said...
It's been ages since I last saw Akira, but it's still very vivid in my mind. Great, great anime.
That said, I do actually like Leonardo DiCaprio, who is, in my opiion, one of the best actors of his generation. Plus, I personally don't have that big a problem with the Americanisation of foreign concepts.
So bring it on.
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2-21-2008 @ 2:18PM
akaison said...
It's not Americanization. it's making it white. There is a difference since America is a multi racial country. But apparently not for some.
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2-21-2008 @ 2:25PM
joits said...
all these remakes are being blamed on the studios... well the studios are doing what they do best, cast well known white actors because its what they think will get them the most profit. casting leo over an unknown japanese actor will bring a lot more people who aren't even interested in akira or anime. while that sucks not only for this remake but any remake, blame should really be on the company that originally owned the rights to the properties and are selling the rights to the movie to big studios. they obviously don't mind because they sold the rights for a whole lotta money.
this practice has been going on for a long time and i don't see it changing anytime soon.
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2-21-2008 @ 2:29PM
akaison said...
jim crow went on for a long time too. and for along time no one saw the need to change it because it was the way things were done down south.
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2-21-2008 @ 3:35PM
Eklen said...
I still have no idea whatsoever why this is being remade...disgusting, all of it. Nothing good will come of it!
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2-25-2008 @ 6:37AM
grafdog said...
Kaneda and Tetsuo are 15-16 year old Japanese punks.
Di crapio i believe is a white man in his thirties. I guess maybe they will rename Kaneda and tetsuo to Goldstein and Eliza.
SSSSSSSSSUUUUUUUUUUUUCCCCCCCCKKKKKKKKKKK!!!!
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3-08-2008 @ 8:47PM
Al said...
I'll give this a shot ONLY because I like Joseph Gordon Levitt. He's got a young enough look to play the part. Leo as Kaneda is just absurd. Sorry, but he looks every day of his 34 years and the age of the characters is important enough not to overlook. It doesn't work to rewrite these guys as grown adults just so an actor approaching middle age can play his childhood hero. They're KIDS railing against the system man! Changing it to be unemployed adult losers railing against the system just doesn't have quite the same appeal.
2-21-2008 @ 4:28PM
YouFaceTheTick said...
Seems fine. Shrug. Akira is highly overrated anyway.
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2-21-2008 @ 5:54PM
Kugi said...
Dear Hollywood.
Akira was already a movie. It was a perfect movie. It's already been done. It's finished with. Would you like to steal my heart, Hollywood? Write something new. Don't destroy old, beautiful things.
Thank you.
Love,
Me.
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2-21-2008 @ 6:32PM
John R said...
The whitewash continues...egads, when will it end.
Even though I love all the following anime/manga I really hope that the live action versions of Speed Racer, Dragonball, Robotech, Street Fighter, and this all fail miserably and hollywood asks why.
Answer: You whitewashed these properties. period.
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2-21-2008 @ 9:03PM
Claudia Lomelí said...
Man, f**k you Leonardo DiCaprio. I knew they would ruin it, I knew it. Now, my money is on how they will shift the story from Tokyo to New York. You'll see.
Now, being fair, Leo is a good actor, but he can't be Kaneda. This is... this is a disaster, a disaster I tell you.
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2-22-2008 @ 2:04AM
Zach S said...
I just saw Akira a month or two ago and was impressed by a lot of what was there, and could totally see it being made into a live-action film with the right budget. I'm not so sure about Leo as Kaneda because he seems mad old for the role, but Gordon-Levitt as Tetsuo seems great! I think it'll be interesting to see what they do with it, especially since it's a very Japanese film, seeing as one of the main bases of the plot is an atomic bombing and such. Also, a very unknown director such as the one they picked could spell very very bad things for such an ambitious movie- please don't be another Uwe Boll!!!
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