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Taika Waititi Explains Why His Akira Movie was Put on Hold


After Thor: Ragnarok, director Taika Waititi was then attached to helm the long-gestating Akira film. The movie has since been delayed, and Waititi gives a bit of explanation as to what happened behind the scenes.

Talking to Variety, Waititi was asked to give an update on the live-action Akira, to which he replied, "The whole thing went on hold. We had to keep pushing the dates, and it encroached on the Thor dates, which were immovable. So Akira ended up shifting two years down the track."

For now, it looks like Waititi has his hands full before he can work on the anime adaptation. Before Thor: Love and Thunder, he's also set to work on this movie called Next Goal Wins, which is a biopic about the American Samoa football team and how they underwent rigorous training with coach Thomas Rongen. It's also worth mentioning that he has some acting work to do as well, being cast in James Gunn's The Suicide Squad.

Seeing as anime adaptations don't usually work (e.g. Ghost in the Shell, Death note), I'm curious what Akira will look like when it finally comes out. If you ask me, they should have gotten someone whose specialty is special effects, rather than Waititi who makes, personal, independent movies. How about Godzilla's Gareth Edwards or District 9's Neill Blomkamp? I also think Alex Garland (Annihilation) could do a good job, or Denis Villeneuve (Blade Runner 2049).

No release date has been set for Akira, but Thor: Love and Thunder comes out Nov. 5, 2021.

Read Also: Taika Waititi Would 'F*cking Love' to Direct a Star Wars Movie

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