From the get-go, the American edition of Akira was doomed. Whether it was the massive fan backlash at adapting the cult classic manga and anime into a more Western product, a leaked script that diluted the core premise of the film or just the sheer unnecessary need for the movie, it was going just never going to work out. Akira is most likely still being worked on right now, but you can bet that Hollywood has no time or drive to kickstart the film.
One way that Akira could have succeeded though, was in terms of visual effects. Americanizing a product be damned, because sometimes a touch of western influence in the design of a movie can be a good thing. Director Ruari Robinson tried to get the film going in 2009, commission quite a bit of concept art in order to sell his vision of the movie. And to be honest, at least this side of the production process remained faithful to the original source material:
Akira would most likely have not been met with positive reviews, but if it looked anything like the concept art above, it would have at least succeeded visually. TETSUOOOOOOOO!
Last Updated: June 3, 2014
Unavengedavo
June 3, 2014 at 11:43
Sounds like it would’ve ended up like Dragon Ball evolution
Kervyn Cloete
June 3, 2014 at 11:53
Is it just me, or is that last pic modelled on Jason Gordon Levitt?