Fans of Akira should probably breathe a sigh of relief. The much discussed, much maligned Warner Bros. produced live action re-do just hit another major road block. The Hollywood Reporter reports that the Vancouver production offices have been shut down as the producers and director Jaume Collet-Serra work on the script and trimming the budget. 

After reading the THR story, it seems like this particular project was destined to fail right from the start. At this point, Warner Bros and all of those involved just walk away right now. While it sucks that a lot of below the line people are out of work, it doesn’t seem like there’s a way to make this type of film at a $60 to 70 million dollar budget. It doesn’t feel right to shove name actors into places that they shouldn’t necessarily be, in the first place. While the original Manga series and 1989 film has its fans, is Akira going to appeal to a wide audience? It just seems like a third production stop should be the sign that the Movie Gods don’t want this to happen. 

If anyone was excited about seeing a live action version of Akira, they should probably check out Chronicle in February. Chronicle may not be set in a post apocalyptic future with cool motor bikes and awesome production design, but it seems to have a similar vibe.