November 17, 2008 from Francisco's blog
Akira is probably the most famous anime ever. It introduced a generation to the world of Japanese animation and showed western cultures that animation (which at the time was dominated by Disney movies) can be dark, experimental, and very artistic. For years now, probably since the mid-90's, I've been hearing about a remake of this anime classic into a live-action film. Time went by and I just assumed it was never going to happen. Looks like it's now back on track and Leonardo DiCaprio's production company is behind it and there's even a script.
Anime is such a huge influence in our culture now. If you look at cartoons on television now (in the U.S., I can't speak for the rest of the world) they are either imported from Japan or they are copies of the Japanese style. It's also a big influence on young designers. The flashy bright and colorful style of anime can be seen in the work of many designers, illustrators, and graffiti artists these days.
Click here to read a review of the script.
source: NewYork-Tokyo
