Following a report two weeks ago that the actor was in talks to headline a big-screen adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira, comes word via JoBlo that Keanu Reeves has passed on the role.

The new version to be directed by Albert Hughes, Akira was previously adapted as an anime film in 1988. Reeves was said to be up up for the role of Kaneda, a member of a biker gang in a cyberpunk dystopia.

"Production on 'Akira' has not halted or been shut down," Warner Bros. responded in answer to allegations that the film might be in trouble, "as the film has not yet been greenlit and is still very much in the development stage. The exploratory process is crucial to a project of this magnitude, and we will continue to sculpt our approach to making the best possible film."

Reeves will next appear in 47 Ronin, hitting theaters on November 21, 2012. He also recently revealed that he will return for a third Bill & Ted film at some point in the not-too-distant future.