Waititi’s “Akira” set for 21 May, 2021

(FASTNEWS|COLOMBO) – After well over a decade in development, Warner Bros. Pictures looks to be finally getting their live-action “Akira” adaptation in front of the cameras.

The studio has set a May 21st 2021 release date for the project, going up against a fourth “John Wick” film. They also confirm that “Thor: Ragnarok” and “Hunt for the Wilderpeople” helmer Taika Waititi is indeed at the helm. The news comes a few weeks after the movie scored a California tax credit.

Set in the wake of the third World War, the story in the remake takes place in the rebuilt New Manhattan (shifting from the Neo Tokyo of the original) where a leader of a biker gang saves his friend from a medical experiment which unleashes his latent powers. The gang’s leader must find a way to stop the ensuing swathe of destruction.

The original manga was previously adapted into a stylized and incredibly influential 1988 anime film by the manga’s creator Katsuhiro Otomo.