The long-stalled Taika Waititi Akira live-action adaptation is officially canceled, as rights to the iconic manga and anime have reverted from Warner Bros. to its original publisher, Kodansha Comics. This outcome, reported in June 2024, has sparked intense reactions among fans, many of whom feel relieved that the cherished source material will remain untouched for now.
Decades of Unfulfilled Adaptation Attempts
Katsuhiro Otomo’s Akira, published between 1982 and 1990, remains a legendary work in the cyberpunk and post-apocalyptic genre, charting the turbulent lives of characters like Shotaro Kaneda, Kei, and Colonel Shikishima as they navigate the ruins of Japanese society. While anime adaptations of similar works have flourished, plans for a Hollywood live-action Akira have been mired in pre-production limbo for more than two decades.
Warner Bros. acquired the Akira rights in 2002, but the project struggled to progress, cycling through numerous writers and directors without tangible results. One notable iteration intended to star Garrett Hedlund, Kirsten Stewart, Helena Bonham Carter, and Ken Watanabe, only to be put on indefinite hold before collapsing. Throughout these changing visions, anticipation and skepticism grew in equal measure among Akira fans and the broader anime community.
Taika Waititi’s Attachment and Departure
Hope was renewed when Taika Waititi, acclaimed for his direction of Hunt For the Wilderpeople and Marvel’s Thor: Ragnarok, became attached to Akira as both writer and director. Unlike previous attempts that leaned towards Americanizing the story, Waititi expressed a desire to respect Akira’s roots, aiming for an all-Asian cast in tribute to its cultural origins. Despite these intentions, Waititi did not fully commit, and his version ultimately never materialized, ending yet another stage of what many now describe as a cursed Hollywood adaptation process.
Fans Welcome the Return to Kodansha
The official word that the project is dead and Akira’s rights have returned to Kodansha has been met with widespread relief across social media platforms. Many who cherish the original manga and Otomo’s renowned 1988 anime film voiced their opposition to a live-action remake, fearing it could never replicate the artistry and narrative impact of its predecessors. One social media user wrote,
movie doesn’t need a live-action iteration, it was perfect, beautiful, and meticulously animated by hand. Doing a live-action version does the animators a disservice.
—user, X
This sentiment underscores the status of the Akira anime as both a masterwork in animation and a faithful translation of the manga. As another comment put it,
Thank god, honestly. Not the right director.
—user, X
The backlash against Waititi appears linked not only to the challenges of adapting Akira but also to criticism of his recent work on Thor: Love and Thunder, which did not receive the same level of acclaim as his previous projects, highlighting shifting opinions about his suitability for such a beloved property.
Broader Implications for Anime Adaptations
Attempts to bring anime and manga stories to live-action are often met with criticism and skepticism, even more so than adaptations from novels or comic books. Many fans and creators argue that animation is uniquely capable of capturing the dramatic scope and visual inventiveness of works like Akira. This belief is part of why there has been such a strong response to the cancellation—and why the majority still express preference for adaptation through animation over Hollywood reinterpretation.
While the Taika Waititi Akira live-action adaptation will not move forward, industry observers and fans alike now wonder whether another director or studio will earn enough trust to revisit this iconic material. For now, Kodansha’s regained control suggests the property will remain close to its cultural and artistic roots, led by those who understand the legacy built by Katsuhiro Otomo, the original animators, and the cast that brought Akira to life. The anime and manga community will be watching to see if future attempts can ever align with the passion, vision, and expectations set by the original work.
