Earlier this summer, it was announced that America’s live action adaptation of the iconic Japanese anime movie Akira was being delayed because director Taika Waititi had committed to directing Marvel’s Thor: Love and Thunder. Before it was put on hold, Akira was supposed to come out in May of 2021.
However according to Screen Ran,t it looks like now the Akira project has been put on hold indefinitely, and Hype Beast claims that Warner Brothers has removed Akira from their release schedule. So does this mean that after years of canceled plans, delayed dates, and constant holds, the live action Akira project has finally come to an end?
Well… it is still a little too early to tell right now. It does sound like Waititi will be pretty busy with his current projects. Waititi first entered the public eye after he directed Thor: Ragnarok, and now he has the success of the recent Jojo Rabbit under his belt the some new opportunities could open up for the director. Who knows if Waititi will ever have the time to direct Akira. Even if the live action Akira does get made, it is doubtful that Waititi would still be involved with the project.
Until then, you can still catch Waititi in the upcoming action-comedy Free Guy, which stars Ryan Reynolds and is set to come out July 3, 2020.