Warner Brothers and Jaume Collet-Serra are still casting the Americanized, $90 million adaptation of Akira, and we have a synopsis of the plot which went out with a casting call. We already heard the new version would be set in “Neo-Manhattan” with two white adults playing the young teenage Japanese motorcycle gang members Kaneda and Tetsuo. The adaptation also makes them brothers. The casting call confirms some of the casting rumors and tells us what Kaneda’s new job is going to be:
Kaneda (Garret Hedlund) is a bar owner in Neo-Manhattan who is stunned when his brother, Tetsuo, is abducted by government agents led by The Colonel (Ken Watanabe). Desperate to get his brother back, Kaneda agrees to join with Ky Reed (Kristen Stewart) and her underground movement who are intent on revealing to the world what truly happened to New York City thirty years ago when it was destroyed.
[Ed.- SPOILERS AHOY] Kaneda believes their theories to be ludicrous but after finding his brother again, is shocked when he displays telekinetic powers. Ky believes Tetsuo is headed to release a young boy, Akira, who has taken control of Tetsuo’s mind. Kaneda clashes with The Colonel’s troops on his way to stop Tetsuo from releasing Akira but arrives too late. Akira soon emerges from his prison courtesy of Tetsuo as Kaneda races in to save his brother before Akira once again destroys Manhattan island, as he did thirty years ago. [Acting-Auditions via BleedingCool]
This movie is starting to seem more and more like this “American Akira” parody by Harry Partridge (the same guy who did the mesmerizing “Nic Cage Wants Cake” music video).