What’s the hold-up? The studio – in this case, Warner Bros. – is concerned about the budget. The producers and director Jaume Collet-Serra are going to take the next couple of weeks to tinker with the script and try to bring the price tag down.
Akira is a live-action adaptation of the feature-length anime/manga of the same name. The film is set in the future, which means “world building” which, in turn, means money is needed to pull that world off.
Garrett Hedlund of Tron Legacy was the only confirmed cast member. Helena Bonham Carter, Ken Wattanabe and Kristen Stewart were reportedly circling roles.
THR says the budget right now is $90 million; Warner Bros. would like to knock that back $20-30 million. If that doesn’t happen, Akira might be a shelved project.
Recently, another film, Paradise Lost, was put on hold until budget issues were resolved.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
