Movies
Warner Bros. Greenlights ‘Akira’, Makes “Smarter” Casting Decision
Warner Bros. has finally greenlit its live-action remake of the anime cult hit Akira for a late February/early March start, sources tell Variety.
In July, Warners tapped Spanish helmer Jaume Collet-Serra (House of Wax, Orphan, Unknown) to direct at a budget of $90 million, which was brought down from an initial figure of well more than $100 million.
Listening to fan outcry when the the studio had talked about casting the likes of Keanu Reeves, they’ve now turned their attention towards Tron: Legacy star Garrett Hedlund (pictured inside), who’s considered a front-runner. Though no offer’s been made, insiders say it’s only a matter of time.
And with that, we can all celebrate! “Set in New Manhattan, the cyberpunk sci-fi epic follows the leader of a biker gang who must save his friend, discovered with potentially destructive psychokinetic abilities, from government medical experiments.”
WB acquired the potential tentpole project for a seven-figure sum from Japanese manga publisher Kodansha in 2008. Katsuhiro Otomo, who wrote and directed the 1988 Japanese anime pic of the same name, will exec produce Akira.
Akira, long in development at the studio, has hit several speedbumps over the last several months, including Albert Hughes falling off as director. Collet-Serra was brought on quickly, but working out the budget took about two months, with studio execs and creative execs meeting last week before the decision was rendered over the weekend.
Movies
Christopher Landon to Helm Feature Adaptation of Grady Hendrix’s ‘The Final Girl Support Group’
A new feature adaptation of author Grady Hendrix‘s slasher book The Final Girl Support Group is now on the way from Paramount Pictures, and Deadline reports that it’s found its director in Christopher Landon (Drop, Happy Death Day).
The two previously collaborated on My Best Friend’s Exorcism.
In The Final Girl Support Group, “Lynette is a real-life final girl who survived a massacre. For more than a decade, she’s been meeting with five other final girls and their therapist in a support group for those who survived the unthinkable, working to put their lives back together. Then one woman misses a meeting, and their worst fears are realized—someone knows about the group and is determined to rip their lives apart again, piece by piece.”
“But the thing about final girls is that no matter how bad the odds, how dark the night, how sharp the knife, they will never, ever give up.”
I wrote in my novel review for BD, “Hendrix puts his characters through the absolute wringer. It’s a bloody, vicious voyage for the flawed heroine, both physically and emotionally. In terms of action and horror, Support Group delivers breakneck pacing and thrills.”
Five years ago, Andy Muschietti & Barbara Muschietti (Mama, It, It Chapter Two) were attached to produce a planned series adaptation for HBO Max alongside Charlize Theron. While Theron is no longer producing, the Muschiettis remain on board under their Double Dream label.
Paramount Pictures is also developing Hendrix’s sci-fi novella, BadAsstronauts.
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