The live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira hasn’t gone too smoothly as Warner Bros. has been piecing it together for roughly a year. Now it’s hit an extremely rough patch in losing what might be its most key component.
Deadline relays that Albert Hughes has left the director’s seat. According to insiders, the split is an amicable one. Even so, that doesn’t make matters any better for Warner Bros., especially considering that it wants to get this movie into production as soon as possible.
The studio’s currently on the hunt for a director to replace Hughes. However, no actors are attached to the principle roles of Kaneda and Tetsuo. Shortlists that included relatively young actors like Andrew Garfield, Garrett Hedlund, and Justin Timberlake were revealed, but none of them have signed on just yet. Then a lot of older actors were rumored. Warner Bros. courted Keanu Reeves, but such negotiations fell through.
What will be the fate of Akira? Will it move forward under another director or hit the shelf?