Overview

• Kodansha regained the live-action film rights to Akira in late June 2025 when Warner Bros. allowed them to lapse after more than two decades.
• Reports indicate multiple studios and streamers are engaged in an unnamed bidding war for the property.
• Warner Bros. spent eight-figure sums since 2002 and attached high-profile filmmakers such as Stephen Norrington, Albert Hughes and Taika Waititi without producing a final film.
• The project stalled repeatedly because of budget disputes, proposed setting changes and accusations of cultural whitewashing.
• The original manga and 1988 anime remain seminal in global cyberpunk culture while creator Katsuhiro Otomo’s announced anime sequel still awaits development.