Why A Live-Action Akira Should Adapt The Manga, Not The Anime

The best move for a live-action take on Akira wouldn’t be to remake the classic anime, but to adapt the manga instead. A live-action Akira has spent decades in development hell, with directors like Jordan Peele, George Miller and Ruairí Robinson being linked to different iterations.

Akira is one of the most iconic anime movies ever produced, and recreating its striking visuals and scale would be no easy task. Taika Waititi was attached to the project for years, stating he planned to adapt Katsuhiro Otomo’s manga instead.

However, in June 2025, Warner Bros finally opted to give up on Akira, ending Waititi’s involvement. There is said to be a bidding war for the rights to the property, so whether that will take the form of a movie, show, a new anime or something else is currently unknown.

Akira’s Live-Action Movie Should Adapt The Manga, Not The Anime Movie

Akira animated movie screencap of Kaneda riding his iconic bike through the city streets.

Hollywood hasn’t had the greatest of luck with live-action anime, with the likes of Ghost in the Shell, Death Note and Netflix’s Cowboy Bebop series proving intensely disappointing. Messing up a totemic work like Akira would be especially embarrassing, and it feels like that’s been the sticking point for so many filmmakers when it came to the movie.

I think what the live-action version should do is put the anime to one side, and go with Waititi’s plan to adapt the Akira manga. The manga was a six-volume beast that really took its time to soak in the world of Neo-Tokyo and explore its characters, but the anime had to greatly condense the source material.

Otomo chopped out large chunks of the original story, including major characters and subplots. For instance, Lady Miyako – who appears briefly in the anime – was a key figure in the manga and was revealed to be a former test subject. The manga also explores the complex friendship between Kaneda and Tetsuo in greater detail.

The manga is a richer, more sprawling tale, but the anime had to drop most of it for the sake of telling a more propulsive story. The Akira manga is a different experience, and a live-action Akira movie adaptation of it would offer something new from the anime.

A Faithful Akira Adaptation Would Need To Be Told Over Several Movies

Promotional poster for 1988's Akira featuring Kaneda and his bike. — Promotional poster for 1988’s Akira featuring Kaneda and his bike.

Here’s the rub with a movie version of the Akira manga: it would be impossible to do in one film. Otomo condensed the narrative with good reason, as covering the entire manga in a two-hour runtime can’t be done.

So, outside of a multi-season series covering one volume at a time, the story would have to be told across multiple films. An Akira movie trilogy would be the ideal way to do it – but then there’s the issue of whether audiences will show up for even one outing.

Actors such as Robert Pattinson, Keanu Reeves, Keira Knightley and Ken Watanabe have been linked to the Akira movie over the years.

It could take the Dune: Part One approach of making a single film to see if there’s interest, and then commit to telling the whole story if it’s a success. Adapting the anime would be the safer approach – but then that leaves little room for sequels in today’s increasingly IP-driven world.

Any approach to Akira comes with risks, but it really feels like taking on the behemoth that was the original manga is the best move all around. That’s what would get me excited for it, but time will tell what approach it takes.