Copyright 2007 Charley Gallay / ETonline.com
The Japanese anime classic will get the big-screen treatment.
LEONARDO DiCAPRIO and Warner Bros. are producing a live-action version of the Japanese anime classic 'Akira,' according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Originally set in a post-apocalyptic ''New Tokyo'' in 2019, where rival biker gangs confront a deadly, out-of-control government experiment, the new adaptation will take place in ''New Manhattan'' -- a city rebuilt after a nuclear war with Japanese money. The 1988 animated film by KATSUHIRO OTOMO was adapted from a manga comic book and is considered by many to be groundbreaking for anime films, paving the way for the art form's growing popularity in the West.
RUAIRI ROBINSON, a filmmaker nominated for a Best Animated Short Oscar in 2001, will make his feature directorial debut on the film, which is expected to be a two-part epic, tentatively scheduled for a summer 2009 release. No word yet whether or not Leo will also appear in the film.
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