The live-action take on Katsuhiro Otomo’s classic manga moving forward, Akira may have found its Kei. Twitch reports that The Twilight Saga star Kristen Stewart has been offered to play the female lead.
Stewart joins a bevy of talent said to be up for roles, including Garrett Hedlund in the leading role of Kaneda, Gary Oldman as the Colonel and both Helena Bonham Carter and Keira Knightley for undisclosed roles (Potentially Knightley could be up for Kei as well).
The Kei character is the romantic interest of Kaneda, a member of a biker gang in a cyberpunk dystopia.
Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown) is set to direct with a script from “Harry Potter” screenwriter Steve Kloves. Previously, Akira was famously adapted as an anime film in 1988, although this take on the story is said to transplant the action from “Neo-Tokyo” to “New Manhattan.”
(Photo Credit: Adriana M. Bar)
