First, Jaume Collet-Serra is in the director’s chair with production slated to begin early next year. He’s the man behind House of Wax, The Orphan, and Unknown. That news gets me pretty riled up and I have no emotional connections to Akira. The next update is that,  based on his light-cycle experience, Garrett Hedlund is the favorite to zip around Neo-Manhattan in the lead role. I know how upset this must make you die-hards. Maybe you should go outside and get some air or a bialy. Treat yourself. (Variety)

The Variety story also mentions offhand that the film will be set in “New Manhattan,” a move that will a) explain the presence of all the white movie stars, while also b) frustrating fans of the source material. Not a huge surprise, given the casting rumors that had been circulating.

The choice doesn’t shed too much light on the constantly-shifting project, but getting a director on board might help the producers from Appian Way start garnering cast members to turn “New Manhattan” into “White Tokyo.”

Despite these setbacks, the film is still being fasttracked, so expect the studio to find another helmer as soon as possible. Also expect the studio to match Hughes to another project in short order. Sounds like both the studio and director bounce back nicely, but what of the film?

Not much is known about the ever-evolving Akira, as producers changed both the direction of the film and the budget, opting to go with Reeves instead of a younger, less-proven star. While the script may be firm, it would appear that every other aspect of the project is back to square one. Not exactly the direction you want to be traveling in on a fasttracked production.

Expect the casting rumors to circulate quickly for this project, as it has the attention of not only the US, but the world on the venerable property. Two months ago, the shortlist consisted of Robert Pattinson, Andrew Garfield, and James McAvoy, so their names are likely to pop back up in the discussion.

Warner Bros. has insisted that Keanu’s decision hasn’t sidetracked production, as it’s in development and has yet to be greenlit. So don’t worry about this event offsetting progress on the film – they haven’t made any yet. Way to cover your ass, WB. (Coming Soon)

While the talks aren’t far along, Reeves has demonstrated he can carry a big-budget franchise with The Matrix trilogy, so his involvement could give the film weight enough to find another A-lister for the role of Tetsuo, Kaneda’s best friend. Keanu is now wrapping up the samurai film 47 Ronin, so perhaps the studio wanted to catch him while he was still in a Japanese state of mind. Because once those sword skills fade, they’re gone for good. (THR)

Akira

Andrew Garfield, James McAvoy and Robert Pattinson have been given the current draft of Akira, re-written by Steve Kloves. They’re all up for the lead role of Tetsuo. If the audition requires shirtlessness, Pattinson’s got the experience edge. Meanwhile, for the role of Kaneda, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake, Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender and Joaquin Phoenix are under consideration.

The story takes place in the very distant future – 2019 – where a bike gang leader must save his buddy from becoming the victim of a medical experiment. Warner Bros. and director Albert Hughes (From Hell) are excited about the new draft, though probably Albert’s co-director brother Allen is not, since he’s been left out of the picture. Or maybe he too became the victim of a medical experiment somewhere in Neo-Tokyo. (Deadline)

Anyway, Steve Kloves, who wrote all but one of the Harry Potter movies, has been hired to polish the script by Albert Torres. We’ll see if this means the studio (Warner Brothers) plans to market Akira to the Harry Potter crowd, probably by putting advertisements in all of my comic books and computer games or something. Nerds. (via Variety)

The Hollywood Akira has a powerful writing team behind it in Mark Fergus and Hawk Ostby, the scribes behind Iron Man and Cowboys and Aliens, and a decidedly less-powerful director behind it in Albert Hughes, 50% of the Hughe brothers team that brought us Dead Presidents, From Hell, and The Book of Eli. It’s being produced by Leonardo DiCaprio’s Appian Way, which seems to have channeled its inner Franco and gotten involved with most of the projects out there these days. An interesting team behind what will surely be a very high-profile movie once it gets going.

I can’t muster up any more jokes about James Franco’s ubiquity in every facet of entertainment, so I’m just going to give you a handy list of irons he has in the fire right now. Feel free to print it and put it in your wallet. If you should run into Franco or his agent, you have conversation fodder for days, if not weeks.

• Press for 127 Hours on the awards circuit
• The Wizard of Oz in Oz, Great and Powerful
• Co-teaching a class on himself at Columbia College Hollywood
• Playing Richard Ramirez, the Night Stalker
• Perhaps directing himself in the Ramirez biopic
• Possibly producing or starring in a “Three’s Company” feature and/or play
• Directing As I Lay Dying
• Starring in The Iceman
• Starring in Rise of the Apes
• Writing a feature for him and his brother to star in
• Starring in the Linda Lovelace biopic

This is just stuff we’ve covered. This list will have been rendered almost completely obsolete by the time you finish reading it.

I’m sure in his mind, Franco is kicking around spec scripts for a Rocky reboot, a Heat prequel, and possibly executing Jason Segel to become the new face of the Muppets franchise going forward.

The news that Zac Efron has been offered the lead in the Hughe Brothers adaptation of Akira is single-handedly responsible for the stock of asthma medicine shooting through the roof. That is to say, chubby basement dwellers are PISSED. But when you stop and think about it, he’ll make perfect sense in the role. I’ve never seen a person who looks more like they leapt from the pages of anime in my life. I’d be shocked if a gigantic sweat drop didn’t bead on his forehead when he’s feeling trepidatious.

That said, more casting was announced that didn’t make much sense. It was revealed today that Morgan Freeman is circling the role of the Colonel. Which makes so so so little sense. That role is Chuck Liddell’s for the taking. That would be like offering Sean Connery Professor X, or not offering Morgan Freeman Nelson Mandela. At any rate, we’re still very early in the casting process so it’s likely these plans will change in favor of those that make some g.d. sense. (via /Film and Bloody Disgusting)