Ninja Scroll Tagged Articles at Cinematical

You probably remember that a little over a year ago, the news hit that Leonardo DiCaprio would be producing a live action version of the beloved anime, Akira, and as to be expected, fans were peeved. Within minutes, comment boards (including ours) were jammed with cries of white-washing, racism, and general predictions of overall crappiness. But, if you happen to have been one of those fans crying for blood; I've got some good news for you. Bloody Disgusting now reports that the live-action Akira has been pronounced "Dead as a doornail" by not one, but two inside sources -- I guess we should have seen this coming when the film was promised to be released in 2009, and there wasn't a signed cast member in sight.

For those not familiar with Akira, it was the story of a teen biker gang member who is subjected to government experiments and unleashes destruction on a post-nuclear Tokyo. Ruairi Robinson had originally been slated to direct a script by Gary Whitta (Book of Eli), but DiCaprio had promised that they wouldn't be moving ahead with Akira until they had a quality script, so maybe Whitta could have been the source of the delay. Either way, I guess we can all breathe a sigh of relief that Tetsuo and the gang are safe from the monster known as 'reboot fever'...at least for now, anyway.

After the jump; status reports on other classic anime in line for a Hollywood makeover...

It's been two months since we heard anything about the Leonardo DiCaprio-produced Akira. This is a remake that has caused a bit of upset in our comments, as initial reports suggested DiCaprio was set to star alongside Joseph Gordon-Levitt.

However, Gordon-Levitt denied having any connection to the film, and now DiCaprio has clarified his involvement. In an interview with MTV's Splash Page, he denied that he was going to be starring in Akira, nor will he be playing any part in Ninja Scroll (which he just optioned a few weeks ago). He made it clear that his only involvement is as producer, via his Appian Way banner.

So, where does Akira stand in pre-production? Remember, this was once being fast-tracked for a summer 2009 release, which it's obviously not going to make. But that's because DiCaprio is making sure this is handled right: "We're waiting for the final draft of the script. I'm a big fan of Japanese anime ... I know there a lot of loyal fans out there of the project and die-hard fans, so we're going to try to do the best job we possibly can and we're not going to make the movie until the script is in the right shape."

If only big fans could be the producers on every beloved property, no fans would ever lose sleep. Are you slightly reassured, now? And hey, post your Akira dream cast. DiCaprio knows you're out there, and he might just listen.

A brutally violent tale of revenge set in feudal Japan, with eye-popping nudity, rape, and, oh yeah, did I mention the buckets of blood? Of course, that makes Ninja Scroll perfect fodder for a live-action version -- further evidence that 300 was a game-changer, as if we needed more -- and that's what Warner Brothers intends to make through the auspices of Appian Way, AKA Leonardo DiCaprio's production company.

Writer Alex Tse (Watchmen, Frankie Machine) has been hired, but Leo "is not planning to act in the film," according to Variety. Leo may not be able to open an Iraq-themed action picture, but he can still get long-gestating anime adaptations into development, i.e. Akira, and now Ninja Scroll, which is set up as a co-production with Japanese company par excellence Madhouse.

Ninja Scroll was originally released in Japan in 1993 before receiving a limited theatrical run in the US in 1996. I saw it at a midnight screening; I was very tired that night, but I have vivid memories of naked women and slashing swords. Admittedly, that could describe a number of pictures; still, if I recall correctly, Ninja Scroll really moved at a good pace, so the live-action version better not be ponderous and slow.

Since Leo is, at this point, not planning to enter the world of ninjas and vengeance, who would you like to see as the ninja vagabond Jubei Kibagami? Do you think the adaptation will remain based in ancient Japanese feudal society? Or will it be unrecognizably "modernized" into a modern-day tale or, heaven forbid, transmogrified into an American revenge fantasy?

So there's a little mystery starting to brew on the net surrounding the Wachowskis' action flick, Ninja Assassin. Over at kungfurodeo.com, there are reports that a new casting call for the flick is proof that the brothers are actually making a live-action version of the classic anime, Ninja Scroll. For those fans of Scroll out there, maybe you can tell me if the characters on the casting sheet over at Freebase Media look a little familiar.

The story of Ninja Scroll is set in feudal Japan. A ninja-for-hire is forced into fighting an old nemesis that has set his sights on toppling the Japanese government. Complicating matters is a group of super-demons under the bad guys control. So far, not much is known about the plot of Ninja Assassin, but all we do know is that Korean pop star Rain has scored a part in the James McTeigue (V for Vendetta) directed flick.