1) Akira
What is it?
A live-action adaptation of the seminal sci-fi anime Akira. The animated feature is about Kaneda, the leader of a motorcycle gang, and his friend Tetsuo, who develops superhuman powers. Together they navigate neo-Tokyo, built on the remains of the old Tokyo, ravaged by WWIII. The live-action feature is expected to be more of the same.
Why it could escape development hell:
Just about everybody in Hollywood has been attached to Akira in some capacity. That’s an exaggeration, obviously, but that names like DiCaprio, Gary Oldman, Zac Efron, Michael Fassbender, Joaquin Phoenix, Andrew Garfield, James McAvoy, and Robert Pattinson have been circling at one point or another shows how serious producers behind this remake are.
And the number of writers and directors that have been attached over the years is just as staggering. No one has managed to get Akira off the ground since Warner Bros. bought the rights in 2002, but they do keep getting closer each time they try. Seems it’s only a matter of time for this one.