I was introduced to Akira relatively late. It was the same way with Blade Runner. Both were ground-breaking, inspirational pieces of art that wowed viewers at the time. Speaking as a latecomer to the classics, though, they’re looking a little long in the teeth.
Nonetheless, I enjoy how the “Golden Age” pieces of entertainment continue to resurface in the current creative atmosphere. Akira inspired one of the main characters in the Duffer Brothers’ Netflix original, Stranger Things. The movie also inspired director Rian Johnson in developing the characters for the movie, Looper, as well.
Is now a good time to mention that Akira was itself paying homage to Blade Runner?
There’s lots going on with the Akira property these days. Warner Brothers have been trying to make a live action film of it for over a decade. The film has been greenlit for a 2021 screen date, but many fans are worried such a remake will ruin the film, likely concerned due to the whitewashing backlash after casting Scarlett Johannsen as Major in their Ghost in the Shell live-action film.
For now, I guess I’ll have to content myself with this fan-made live-action concept trailer.
Portions of the article above previously appeared on the website, Cyberpunk Matrix. They appear here with permission of their original author.
