Albert Hughes leaves Akira film adaptation

I’ve been posting things on and off about Akira because it happens to be one of my most beloved works of graphic fiction. On a side note, my favorite graphic novel, as well as one of the best books I’ve ever read, is Black Hole – a work that I honestly think trancends the medium. But anyway, Akira has been going through a lot of growing pains lately but is still being fast tracked.

I rarely let the fanboy out, but when it comes to Akira I can’t help but nerd rage and the news that the mediocre talent Albert Hughes was going to helm the movie with and that Keunu Reeves was being courted with major roles made me face palm. What a joke. Don’t get me wrong though, Hughes has his talents: Making mediocre movies (From Hell, Dead Presidents, Book of Eli). Menace To Society is pretty damn good, but that was ages ago and he was only a kid (something like 21).

Anyway, in stroke of great fortune Albert Hughes has left the movie and hopefully someone better will step in. Deadline reports that:

Director Albert Hughes is exiting the movie, I’m told. Insiders say that it is an amicable creative differences  parting of the ways. Warner Bros will try to put him on another movie right away (Hughes and his brother Allen directed the hit The Book of Eli, and WB topper Jeff Robinov is their former agent and is very close with them).

Also interesting from that article was the little snippet that, “Warner Bros is back to the other plan, and will likely go back to that list of actors in hopes of making the picture later this year or early next.”, referring to their return to using “fringe famous” actors such as McAvoy, Patterson, and Garfield.

I’m still fairly satisfied with how things are going and can always be satisfied I can return to the books and/or movie if this one never gets made.

-Collin