Though some might disagree, this is a project that’s been shaping up pretty damn nicely in my eyes recently. Based on Katsuhiro Otomo’s original Japanese manga/anime, Akira is set to make its big-screen American adaptation with Unknown’s Jaume Collet-Serra in the driving seat behind the camera.
TRON: Legacy’s Garrett Hedlund, who I think has deservedly been making a name for himself lately, has been tapped in one of the two male leads as Kaneda, and Gary Oldman and Helena Bonham Carter have both been approached with offers.
Kristen Stewart has now also been approached with an offer, Collider report, to play the female lead, Kei, a love interest for Hedlund’s Kaneda.
The specifics for Steve Kloves’ script are still being kept under wraps, though it’s been known for some time that the location of the originals has been moved from New Tokyo to New Manhattan – you’d perhaps think that the names of the characters would change to match that switch, but maybe not.
Regardless, I think Stewart would be a fantastic choice for the remake. Though I admit that I’ve never yet seen any of the Twilight films, I’ve loved her work in other films, and think she would be great in this. With the Twilight series almost over, Stewart has been actively seeking roles that go beyond what she could have been typecast as, which I think is both brilliant and brave.
She’ll next be seen in the first part of the Twilight conclusion, The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn – Part I, before starring as one of the female leads in Walter Salles’ adaptation of Jack Kerouac’s On The Road. She’s also been hard at work filming Snow White and the Huntsman of late, and moving on to Akira in the new year, with production expected to begin in February/March next year, sounds like a perfect fit. More news as we get it.
