Leo Gets His Anime On

Thu., Feb. 21, 2008 9:16 AM PST by Josh Grossberg

Leonardo DiCaprio's going in for a 'toon up.

The Hollywood star has signed on to produce a live-action big-screen adaptation of the Japanese anime classic Akira for Warner Bros.

DiCaprio's Appian Way Productions will oversee development on Akira, which is being developed as a franchise, with the first of two planned movies slated to hit theaters in the summer of 2009.

Released in 1988 and directed by Katsuhiro Otomo, Akira was based on the director's graphic novels, or manga. It became one of Japan's biggest anime hits and is considered a cult classic.

With eye-popping visuals, the landmark feature-length 'toon followed a band of bikers in postapocalyptic 21st century Tokyo, otherwise known as Neo Tokyo, and a young cyberpunk named Tetsuo. He becomes embroiled in a mysterious government project known as Akira that grants him psychic powers and disturbing hallucinations. It's up to Tetsuo's friends to stop him before his dormant power unleashes destruction on the city.

As of now, DiCaprio is not expected to star in the films.

Akira will be helmed by first-time filmmaker Ruairi Robinson and is being written by Gary Whitta.

Coproducing with DiCaprio is Andrew Lazar of Mad Chance Productions and Jennifer Davisson, president of Appian Way.

DiCaprio's company has long been trying to get Akira off the ground, initially acquiring the rights years ago and rotating through a string of producers , including Jon Peters, and directors like Stephen Norrington (The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen) and the singularly named Pitof (Catwoman).

The rights eventually lapsed and were snapped up by Warner Bros.

One major change is that the action will be set in New York City this time around, instead of Tokyo.

Robinson came to the attention of Hollywood executives after scoring an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Short for the sci-fi comedy Fifty Percent Grey.

DiCaprio, meanwhile, is gearing up to shoot Shutter Island, his fourth film with Oscar winner Martin Scorsese and a follow-up to last year's Best Picture Winner, The Departed.

The suspense thriller focuses on a U.S. Marshal (DiCaprio) probing the disappearance of a female killer from a maximum-security prison hospital on the isolated Shutter Island. At the same time, a major hurricane cuts off all access to the mainland.