Shortlist of Actors for WB's 'Akira' Remake

Warner Bros is reportedly pushing forward with its Americanized remake of KatsuhiroÔtomo’sAkira, based on the writer-director-artist’s 6-volume manga series.

The latest development stems from studio excitement over a rewrite by Harry Potter series screenwriter Steve Kloves— at least the fourth person hired to adapt or polish the script— which prompted another round of casting discussions with the director,Book of Elifilmmaker Albert Hughes.

The film will center primarily on the relationship between two friends and fellow gang members Kaneda, the primary lead, and Tetsuo (possibly renamed Travis), who discovers he possesses immense and increasingly uncontrollable psychokinetic powers. It’s unclear if the plan is still to develop the sci-fi concept as a two-part epic, asinitially announced, or if Kloves’ take condenses the six volumes into one feature.

Deadlinereports the short list of actors given the script and considered for Tetsuo (Travis?) are:Robert Pattinson,Andrew Garfield, andJames McAvoy.

Right away, let’s just acknowledge Pattinson is a truly terrible choice. Regardless of his faithful following of die-hard apologists or how tall and dreamy his hair might look, the British heartthrob simply isn’t right for the role of Tetsuo. Despite being a member of a gang, the character is a follower and distinctly diminutive while realizing a dark and extremely powerful ability that levels city blocks and drives him to the brink of insanity.  None of that describes RPattz.  Well, I suppose he has the brooding part down by now.

New Spider-Man lead Garfield is the more obvious choice, given his experience with conveying intense emotional angst, but he may not be willing or able. Meanwhile, McAvoy has shown tremendous range and should be on everyone’s radar afterX-Men: First Class.

As for the role of Kaneda, which will probably inevitably be renamed to“Kevin,” Deadline has heard the list includes Garrett Hedlund(Tron: Legacy),Michael Fassbender(Magneto in X-Men: First Class),Chris Pine(Captain Kirk in the rebooted Star Trek),Justin Timberlake(pop singer turned actor) andJoaquin Phoenix(actor turned“rapper” turned nutty trickster).

It’s a very mixed bag, but Fassbender and Pine stand out as the most worthy candidates, despite being quite old for the part. Timberlake continues to pop up in movies, but I’m not sure the public at large is convinced of his leading man status just yet. Hedlund could be decent given the right direction, but do we really want another movie where he plays a rebellious biker?  Then there’s the inclusion of Phoenix on the shortlist, which I’m convinced is still part of his elaborate ruse. That Joaquin is nutty.

However, in the story’s Hollywood displacement from“Neo-Tokyo,” Japan to a dystopian Manhattan in New York City, the characters are now older and American, drawing early ire fromRacebending.com(via/Film), who refer to the process as“whitewashing.” The organization, founded in 2009 to protest the Caucasian casting in M. Night Shyamalan’sThe Last Airbender, has created an online petition, or the Internet equivalent of shaking your fist angrily at no one in particular.

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