Although Gary Oldman recently confirmed that he had been approached to play The Colonel in Jaume Collet-Serra’s Akira, we’re now hearing from Twitch that the role has been offered to Ken Watanabe (Inception). While this move should silence some of the critics who claimed the production was “white-washing” the cast, the deal is still in the offer stage and nothing has been confirmed. However, since the studio was testing actors for the role of Tetsuo earlier this week, we may have some confirmed casting news for you soon.
Akira, the adaptation of the 1980s manga by Katsuhiro Otomo and the 1988 classic anime film by the same name, has Garret Hedlund (TRON: Legacy) and Kristen Stewart in talks to play Kaneda and Kei respectively. Hit the jump for more on the project.
There is no word, as of yet, on the offer that had been extended to Helena Bonham Carter to play Lady Miyako. With filming set to begin in the spring, we should expect Collet-Serra to be shoring up the cast fairly soon. Akira will follow Kaneda, the leader of a motorcycle gang, and Tetsuo, a young man with telekinetic abilities, through the streets of Neo-Manhattan. In the original movie, an accident triggers the latent abilities in Tetsuo, who becomes overwhelmed by his new God-like powers. His actions also unlock the super-powerful force known as Akira.
Watanabe’s character would presumably be the man in charge of the government run experiments and ultimately tasked with securing Tetsuo once his powers reach dangerous levels. I’m personally in favor of Watanabe in that role, but what do you guys think of the casting?
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If Garrett Half-ass actor Hedlund and that twilight broad have been cast, it’s too late, the movie’s already been white-washed. Watanabe’s a great actor, but this is white-washing 101…cast white people in the lead and then surround them with asians in small supporting roles so they can say “See! We’re not racist, there’s an asian guy in the background right there! Sure, he’s out of focus and rarely speaks, but he’s asian!”
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You’re right! Thanks a lot!
Hedlund, Stewart, and…Ken Watanabe.
Brilliant.
guess wb wants to make sure the asians are happy about this movie? why not having ONE asian actor in a movie about asian characters is the way to do it.
Not sure why Asians belong in this film either way. It’s an adaptation set in America. Supporting cast is as good as they’ll get. We don’t give a shit if they adapt any of our movies with native actors… Just the whiny interneters that QQ on this one
american is not a race. believe it not we do have asians in this country that are american. there is no reason why they couldn’t cast a whole cast of asian americans. american adaptation doesn’t equal a whole cast of white actors.
yeah but they represent less than 5% of population. So they should cast at least one latino and a black man.
and i am sorry, but if this is based on a japonese film, they should cast a japonese actor or actress. Zhang Ziyi is chinese, and she did a Geisha, which is the Japanese culture. they should have hired a Japanese actress. not a chinese actress…
this film will suck because has Kristen.
Why even give them asian names? If casting Hedlund and Stewart, instead of Kaneda and Kei, might as well name them Ken and Kelly.
this is for everybody who wanted an asian actor in the project
lmao. he’s the toke now. wb wants to show they understand the fans anger, so they wanna cast the one asian actor as the bad guy.
If the movie is called “Psychics, based on Akira” (or something else), and the characters are named Kyle, Kim and Trevor, and it takes place in Neo Los Angeles or Neo-Manhattan, then I don’t give a rat’s buttocks. However, if they’re still called Kaneda, Kei and Tetsuo, and it still takes place in Neo-Toyko, the complaints about whitewashing will be very appropriate and called for.
God the internet is full of complainers.
In a way you are complaining too.
The argument that the actors need to be Asian is a false one.The character design of the anime/manga style has been heavily influenced by the physical features of westerners since it’s inception (fantasy characters excluded) and is only reflective of Asian culture through it’s narratives. If Neo-Tokyo can become New-Manhattan without harming the story then race is of no importance at all. In fact the movie would be more interesting if New-Manhattan was more of a cosmopolitan metropolis. Though the casting of Hedlund and Stewart leaves me in doubt if they can be as captivating as Kaneda and Kei in the 1988 original.
But calling these choices white-washing is simply absurd and bordering on nationalism, it’s also insubstantial. Remember the issues some people had with Tom Cruise playing a samurai? It only made sense because it was integral to the story about an American soldier falling in love with samurai culture, but some still took offense. It was filmed in New-Zealand for shit’s sake! These are knee-jerk reactions that don’t consider the narrative itself.
If I posted a comment accusing Sleeping Beauty of not being German or -better yet- Howl’s Moving Castle for not being British people would think me to be slightly crazy.
The real question is, “would it make any difference if Asian actor’s where cast?”
Answer, “if Neo-Tokyo became New-Manhattan…no”.
Correction, “if Neo-Tokyo became a dystopian New-Manhattan in 2019…then no”. Modern Manhattan is where Kristen Stewart stays at her producer daddy’s penthouse for the weekend.
why do people act like a american guy with a name like kaneda is weird
when you got non asians testing for roles in akira with names like
Alden
Ezra
Garrett
Rami
a non asian with a name like kaneda is fine
An impressive display of pure ignorance and nonsense.
Alden is an English name.
Ezra is a Hebrew name.
Garret is a Germanic name.
Rami is an Arabic name.
None of those are Japanese names.
i don’t care if the whole cast is Asian or white, there is no reason to make this film
it has been made its called Akira and its brilliant.
if you want to see a live action bastardized tweeny version of Akira then seriously your are waiting for the wrong film.
this is a violent, sad and layered movie about ultimate power and repercussions that come with it, no a bunch of teens cry about their love life.
The casting has been brilliant so far. Ken is way better than Oldman. Im supporting this movie. Whiners are completely irrelevant. It’s going to be a success, mark my words.
“Im supporting this movie. Whiners are completely irrelevant”
No. White supremacists like you are completely irrelevant.
Akira is one of the most famous animated films and science fiction movies ever made. This remake/adaptation will never be anything more than a film based on a classic work. A film made for people who never saw the original. They can cast whoever they want, doesn’t matter. This film will not be important anyway.
“While this move should silence some of the critics who claimed the production was “white-washing” the cast, the deal is still in the offer stage and nothing has been confirmed. ”
What an ignorant comment, Trumbore.
The role that is being offered to Watanabe is not the lead. The leads are all white. That is the problem with this and ALL movies that are white washed. The LEAD characters are portrayed by whites.
Every statistic shows that nonwhites in Hollywood are severely limited in the kinds of roles they play reduced to playing stereotypes, supporting roles, villains and background players.
The fact that you do not grasp that makes that comment of yours completely wrong as well as insulting.
Who’s funding this movie, the Ku Klux Klan?