The live-action adaptation of Akira has been delayed as its director, Taika Waititi, commits to directing Thor 4.
The upcoming Thor film will be the New Zealand director’s second Thor film, after the successful Thor: Ragnarok in 2017.
According to reports, there were concerns about developing the script for Akira, which, though mostly resolved, would mean production timelines would clash between the two upcoming films.
Acquiring the rights to produce a live-action version of the critically acclaimed anime in 2002, Warner Bros. Pictures has spent the last 16 years working to make the live-action adaptation of Akira happen, but a series of creative differences, production issues and casting problems have caused the film to be stuck in development limbo.
Taika Waititi was brought on to direct in September 2017 and the project was on track for a May 2021 release. However, this is now uncertain.
While no release date has been set for Thor 4, it is expected that Chris Hemsworth will reprise his role as the
the God of Thunder.
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by Luke Hancock.