DiCaprio to Produce Live-Action Akira!

Along with Star Blazers and Speed Racer, Akira introduced anime to American audiences, and catapulted gritty Japanese cartoons into the mainstream. Set in post-apocalyptic New Tokyo, the plot revolves around a teen motorcycle gang leader forced to deal with the results of a government human experimentation project. But the stars of the flick are the hyper-trick bikes gang members ride. The replica below was built by a fan—will the filmmakers do as good a job? With DiCaprio signed on to produce, there won’t be any shortage of cash to render the wicked cityscapes and incredible chase scenes which made the original so exhilarating. Hopefully, the live-action version doesn’t become a CGI mess, as the trailer for Speed Racer seems to indicate that interpretation will be. Seriously guys, Akira has already been a cartoon! Reuters via Bikes in the Fast Lane