I don’t love the idea of an Akira live-action remake, but if anyone is going to try and do try it, I think Taika Waititi might be the guy. The first time we heard about this movie being made was several years ago before Waititi was attached. They were looking to Americanize the story and cast Leonardo DiCaprio as Kaneda. Thankfully, that never happened. With the release of Waititi’s casting breakdown for the characters of the film, it looks like we’ll be getting a movie that doesn’t try to whitewash the characters or fundamentally change the story. Check it out below:
Jun/Kaneda
Jun (Lead): Male, 18-24 Male, to play Japanese, English speaking. Must be legal 18-20’s to play 18:
Sharp-eyed, sinewy, tough, handsome, cool. He is the leader of a street gang of teenagers & knows how to have a good time. JUN should not be too cool or too tough. He’s a scrappy, ragtag kid who’s not worried about anything. Your weird, natural authentic self is encouraged! LEAD.
Kochi/Tetsuo
KOICHI (Lead): Male, 18-24 Male, to play Japanese, English speaking. Must be legal 18-20’s to play 17:
Constantly forced to punch up in order to survive. He’s fearless to the point of recklessness. He is haunted by the loss of a loved one. LEAD.
Misa/Kei
MISA (Lead): Female, 18-30 Female, to play Japanese, English speaking. Must be legal 18-30:
Beautiful, intelligent, strong-willed. She is a member of an anti-government organization trying to save her city. LEAD.
Reina/Kaoiri
REINA (Supporting): Female, 18-24 Female, to play Asian, English speaking (Japanese a plus). Must be legal 18-20’s to play 17:
Gentle, kind, cute, compassionate. She is a member of a biker gang & cares deeply for Koichi. SUPPORTING LEAD.
Yakamatsu/Yamagata
YAKAMATSU (Supporting): Male, 18-24 Male, to play Asian, English speaking (Japanese a plus). Must be legal 18-20’s to play 18:
Large, tough, loyal, short-fused. A member of Jun’s gang & a close friend. SUPPORTING LEAD.
Yuki/Kai
YUKI (Supporting): Male, 18-24 Male, to play Asian, English speaking (Japanese a plus). Must be legal 18-20’s to play 16:
A small, clever, brainy technical wiz, he is the youngest member of Jun’s street gang. SUPPORTING LEAD.
Gen/Takashi
GEN (Supporting): Male, 10-12 Male, to play Asian, English speaking (Japanese a plus), age 10:
A small, mysterious boy on an urgent mission; he is humble, shy, compassionate & wise beyond his years. SUPPORTING LEAD.
Aimi/Kiyoko
AIMI (Supporting): Female, 10-12 Female, to play Asian, English speaking (Japanese a plus), age 10:
A mysterious girl on an urgent mission; she is kind, gentle, compassionate & wise beyond her years. SUPPORTING LEAD.
Source: CBM