Overview

• The live-action film rights for Akira reverted to manga publisher Kodansha in June 2025 after Warner Bros. allowed its option to lapse.
• Warner Bros. spent over two decades and eight-figure budgets on the project with directors and producers such as Stephen Norrington, Leonardo DiCaprio and Taika Waititi attached at various stages.
• The adaptation faced repeated shutdowns due to budget battles and cultural controversies, including plans to rename Neo-Tokyo and accusations of whitewashing.
• Producers and creative talent are now preparing pitches for studios and streaming services and Deadline reports that a bidding war is underway.
• The 1988 Akira anime remains a landmark in Japanese adult animation and highlights the challenges of translating the manga’s complex cyberpunk narrative to live-action.