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Allen y Albert Hughes en negociaciones
Directores de El Libro de los Secretos detrás de Akira

Allen y Albert Hughes (El Libro de los Secretos) están en negociaciones con Warner Bros. para dirigir Akira', basada en la novela gráfica de Katsuhiro Otomo.

El guión ha sido escrito por Gary Whitta (El Libro de los Secretos) y revisado por Mark Fergus y Hawk Ostby, y tiene lugar en New Manhattan, una metrópolis reconstruida luego de ser destruida hace 31 años.

El último trabajo dirigiendo de los hermanos Hughes antes de El Libro... fue en 2001, con Desde el Infierno, protagonizada por Johnny Depp.

Leonardo DiCaprio y Jennifer Davisson Killoran de Appian Way producen con Andrew Lazar. Otomo es productor ejecutivo.

Warners greenlights 'Akira'; Hedlund front-runner
Live-action tentpole gets the go-ahead

Warner Bros. has greenlit its live-action remake of the anime cult hit "Akira" for a late February/early March start, sources tell Variety.

In July, Warners tapped Spanish helmer Jaume Collet-Serra ("Unknown" ) to direct at a budget of $90 million, which was brought down from an initial figure of well over $100 million. Where the budget stands now isn't clear, and Warner Bros. had no comment on the project.

With a greenlight in place, studio can begin shopping for the two male leads; sources tell Variety that "Tron: Legacy" star Garrett Hedlund is considered a front-runner. Both Warners and Collett-Sera have been keen on the thesp, but had to wait for a greenlight to make their move.

Though no offer's been made, insiders say an offer could come soon.

"Akira," long in development at the studio, has hit several speedbumps over the last several months, including Albert Hughes falling out as director. Collet-Serra was brought on quickly, but working out the budget took about two months, with studio and creative execs meeting last week before the decision was sealed over the weekend.

Appian Way's Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran are producing with Mad Chance's Andrew Lazar. It's another big win for Appian Way, which just secrured "Cloverfield" director Matt Reeves to helm its "Twilight Zone" pic at Warners.

WB acquired the potential tentpole project for a seven-figure sum from Japanese manga publisher Kodansha in 2008. Set in New Manhattan, the cyberpunk sci-fi epic follows the leader of a biker gang who must save his friend, discovered with potentially destructive psychokinetic abilities, from government medical experiments.

Katsuhiro Otomo, who wrote and directed the 1988 Japanese anime pic of the same name, will exec produce "Akira."

BREAKING: Gary Oldman And Helena Bonham Carter Offered AKIRA.

With the Jaume Collet-Sera helmed US remake of Akira now officially green lit the talk now turns to casting the beast. Word began to circulate late last week that Tron: Legacy star Garret Hedlund is in talks to play Kaneda and while Twitch is indeed hearing those talks are ongoing - albeit in the early stages - there are two other parts that are much more advanced.

Twitch has learned that Gary Oldman has been offered the role of Colonel while Helena Bonham-Carter has been offered Lady Miyako.

Frankly I'm surprised to see Hedlund being offered another project on this scale following Tron - a film that succeeded financially despite him, not because of him - but any film that has a one-two of Oldman and Bonham Carter immediately assures itself of at least a certain degree of quality. I'd pay to watch these two read the phone book to each other, honestly.