I am awaiting the nerdrage that will follow this story, but I don’t think its nearly as bad as some will suggest.
WB wants the Albert Hughes directed live action adaptation of the cult classic animated masterpiece Akira to be PG-13.
Yes, we are most likely getting a PG-13 adaptation of Akira. My reaction and everyone else’s will be a bit similar to Albert Hughes‘s response when asked about it possibly being rated-R.”You would think,” said the director, who (along with his brother) became attached to the project earlier this year. If you’ve read the series or seen the excellent 1988 anime then you know this isn’t material you’d associate with teens. It’s very hard-R. Warner Brothers, on-the-other-hand, apparently thinks it has to be PG-13.
Now I know this will be unpopular, but I say this as a die hard fan of the original.
IT DOESN’T HAVE TO BE RATED R!
Yeah they name drop The Dark Knight as the example of pushing the PG-13 rating, but honestly do you really expect them to adapt this cult classic with a limited built in audience, and then further limit the audience?? Of course the studio is going to want to make it PG-13.
But aside from the financial concern, there is no real reason to make Akira R anyways. What? Swearing? Easily subverted. Violence? The biker gang violence is the most graphic in the film, and that is easily done without having to do a slow-mo face crushing scene. The rest is just amazing visuals candy coating a deep intriguing storyline. There is a lot of violence and language you can offer in PG-13 and still be pretty gritty. And there was no sex in Akira. Just sayin.
So exhale. This isn’t shocking news. Studios want their films to have broader appeal so they can put asses in the seats. It doesn’t mean it will be ruined or that they are going to adapt this into some weak mess not deserving of the story. A bad adaptation can come from it being R too. Remember that.
What is encouraging as that when asked about adapting Akira, Albert Hughes is looking forward to the challenge. Hughes admits that he is going to have to simplify the script and while that sounds bad, Akira is a pretty heady story and will likely need some adapting to keep the attention span of the North American audience. However he is just not into sequels, so while they planned more than one Akira, Hughes may not be involved.
So I don’t think its the end of the world that its likely going to be PG-13. Something like Akira doesn’t need excessive graphic violence to maintain its story, the flashy action and the feel of the original.
I am just holding out hope that the adaptation doesn’t go too Hollywood and lose the spirit of the source material. That’s what I am waiting to see.
