Jordan Peele broke his decision to recreate the iconic Akira moment featured in no. Peele’s latest film was released on July 18 earlier this year, his third directorial work after 2019 U.S. As in his predecessors, Peele combines a mix of genres: this time horror, science fiction and even western.
The siblings “OJ” Haywood, Jr. (Daniel Kaluuya) and “Em” Haywood (Keke Palmer) set in present-day Agua Dulce, CA, they train and treat horses for film and television productions while tending their ranch. After discovering a UFO responsible for their fluctuations in electricity and the disappearance of their horses, the Haywoods are determined to document its existence in hopes of making a profit. Palmer’s “Em” does just that when she grabs a paparazzo’s motorcycle and slides down into a cloud of dust into a slow-motion, sideways, posture break. no’s ambitious themes, performances and cinematography received critical acclaim.
In an interview with Empire for their Review Of The Year issue, Peele explained his decision to Akira-inspired slide and how the recording was made. Peele named his Special Effects Coordinator Scott R. Fisher and Stunt Coordinator Mark Vanselow for the success. Using a rig, a 20-foot track, and some VFX, he revealed that actress Keke Palmer only needed a few takes.
“There are so many ways you can stop a motorcycle. And it was like, ‘You know what? I could do it another way, or we could build this rig and make a practical damn Akira slide.”
Will the Live Action Akira Movie ever happened?
The remake is stuck in the development phase, with numerous directors, including David F. Sandberg and Daniel Espinosa, reportedly in the running. Peele was a strong candidate for the live action Akira Hollywood remake in 2017 after box office and critical success of Out. calling Akira “one of the greatest works of all time,” he had considered remaking the groundbreaking anime film. However, he eventually decided against it.
“In the end I felt like if I was going to put so much energy into honoring one of the greatest works of all time, why not put that energy into something of my own?”
So far there is no sign of development. The revenue disappointments and public backlash of Hollywood anime remakes like Ghost in the shell likely to have deterred any progress in production. But if anyone can avoid these pitfalls, it’s Jordan Peele. His sharp social commentary, mainstream audience appeal and original filmmaking style make him an obvious choice. Peele is also adept at paying tribute to iconic films (Out‘s reference to The Stepford women) and also no stranger to respectful remakes, such as his well-received twilight zone two season reboot showed. Whether the live-action film will ever come out remains a mystery; maybe now that nohis latest project, is over, Peele has time to reconsider.
Source: Empire
