Possible Synopsis for Remake of AKIRA

I've been doing what I can to keep you all updated on the news of this Akira remake. I will say I did forget to post that Ken Watanabe was offered the role of The Colonel as Gary Oldman turned the role down. That was my mistake. But honestly, it may not even matter. After looking at the synopsis, well, I've grown disinterested in the project as a whole.

Kaneda (Garrett Hedlund) is a bar owner in Neo-Manhattan who is stunned when his brother, Tetsuo, is abducted by government agents led by The Colonel.

Desperate to get his brother back, Kaneda agrees to join with Ky Reed (Kristen Stewart) and her underground movement who are intent on revealing to the world what truly happened to New York City thirty years ago when it was destroyed. Kaneda believes their theories to be ludicrous but after finding his brother again, is shocked when he displays telekinetic powers.

Ky believes Tetsuo is headed to release a young boy, Akira, who has taken control of Tetsuo’s mind. Kaneda clashes with The Colonel’s troops on his way to stop Tetsuo from releasing Akira but arrives too late. Akira soon emerges from his prison courtesy of Tetsuo as Kaneda races in to save his brother before Akira once again destroys Manhattan island, as he did thirty years ago.

Okay. I don't have a huge problem with making Kaneda the owner of a bar. That's fine. One of the biggest things in the anime was that Kaneda drove his motorcycle. Just because you own a bar, doesn't mean you can't ride a motorcycle. The one thing that really drives me crazy is if, in this remake, they're actually making Kaneda and Tetsuo brothers. They're young childhood friends. I know that there's the whole idea where you want to make a remake your own, but don't change that. That's just stupid. Keep it simple and only change what you have to. Also, it's actually sinking in that Kristen Stewart will be starring in the movie. It hurts to see that.

Kristen Stewart Offered Female Lead in AKIRA

And my interest in the American remake of Akira has gone down substantially. I'm kidding, but still. Kristen Stewart has been offered the lead female role in the remake of Akira. If you haven't seen all my other posts about what this is about, the story takes place in the future city of New Manhattan and follows Kaneda (played by Garrett Hedlund), the leader of a biker gang tasked with saving his friend Tesuo, who has potentially destructive psychokinetic abilities, from a government medical experiences. According to Twitch, Stewart is up for the part of Kei, "a young medium who becomes the love interest for Kaneda."  Other offers that are still on the table include Gary Oldman for Colonel and Helena Bonham Carter for Lady Miyako. 

I really don't know what to think of Kristen Stewart. I mean, yeah, there's that whole thing with her being in that awful franchise that, at the moment, I don't recall it's name (or just like to forget it's name), but I've seen her in other movies and she wasn't...well...awful. I think with the right direction and the proper script, she could excel. And from what I've seen with Steve Kloves, well, he's a damn good writer, so this is something that might possibly work. But we'll see if she even accepts the role first.

Garret Hedlund in Talks for AKIRA; Benicio Del Toro as Villain in STAR TREK Sequel

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Doing all I can to keep you all posted on Akira, and this is the latest. Garrett Hedlund, the emotionless door from TRON: Legacy is being courted for the role of Kaneda. I'm extremely mixed on Hedlund. I haven't seen Georgia Rule or Country Strong so I can't comment on those films. I have seen him in Death Sentence, and I'll admit, he was fantastic. But then there was TRON: Legacy which was just disappointing. So I'm not sure what we'll get out of him. But I have faith. Here's the official synopsis for Akira, and after the break, check out the news for the Star Trek sequel.

Akira is set in the post-apocalypse Neo-Tokyo of 2019, a vast metropolis built on the ashes of a Tokyo annihilated by an apocalyptic blast of unknown power that triggered World War III. The lives of two streetwise teenage friends, Tetsuo and Kaneda, change forever when dormant paranormal abilities begin to waken in Tetsuo, who becomes a target for a shadowy government operation, a group who will stop at nothing to prevent another catastrophe like that which leveled Tokyo. And at the core of their motivation is a raw, all-consuming fear: a fear of someone — or something — of unthinkably monstrous power known only as… Akira. And Akira is about to rise! 

Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter Offered Roles in AKIRA

Take this with a grain of salt, but if it happens, it'll be pretty fantastic. According to Twitch, Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter have been offered major roles in the American remake of Akira. Garrett Hedlund is the front runner for the main role of Kaneda, and Gary Oldman has been offered the role of The Colonal while Helena Bonham Carter has been offered the role of Lady Miyako. Check out the character descriptions after the break. There are possible spoilers if you haven't seen the film!!!!!!! You have been warned.