Sometimes it seems that certain movies just weren’t meant to be, and at this point surely there are a few people over at Warner Brothers asking themselves if the live action Akira remake has become more hassle than it’s worth. Over the past decade the movie has been through three different directors and has undergone numerous budget cuts, but apparently it’s still not good enough for the top brass at the WB. According to Heat Vision, the film’s production offices in Vancouver are being closed down and crew members have been sent home while the budget is re-evaluated one more time. If they are unable to slice another $20 to $30 million out of the pie, the movie could end up being shelved for good. Something tells me that might be the best move at this point.

Based on the seminal anime film and manga by Katsuhiro Otomo, the movie takes place in a post-apocalyptic neo-Manhattan where a teenager named Tetsuo has developed psychic powers and attempts to connect with the mind of a young boy named Akira who destroyed the city some thirty years ago. His best friend Kaneda, the leader of a motorcycle gang, must try to stop him before the military can find him and kill him. Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown) is currently attached to direct.

Last we heard, Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) had landed the lead role, while Kristen Stewart, Ken Watanabe and Helena Bonham Carter were all in talks for supporting roles. Now it’s unclear what will happen as the budget is set at $90 million and Warner Brothers is hoping to get it down to $60 or $70 mil. For a science-fiction movie with a heavy emphasis on special effects, that will likely be a difficult task. What do you think, will this Akira remake ever see the light of day? And more importantly, does anyone even care?

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