Rumor: Akira To Be Trilogy, Christopher Nolan Possibly Involved

The saga of the long-gestating Warner Bros.' live action adaptation of Akira is a rumor that suggests the project will be a trilogy, and that The Dark Knight's Christopher Nolan has spoken to Warner Bros. about taking on the project.

Den of Geek reports that they've heard Nolan has met with within the past three months with an unnamed filmmaker previously attached to the project. Nolan's next film is slated for July 2017 and, while no details about the film have been released, the gears on this massive project would have to be spinning pretty fast for the first Akira movie to make it to theaters by then. That said, Akira would make for an appropriately huge summer blockbuster effort.

The idea of a trilogy of Akira films may be invoking unwelcome comparisons to The Hobbit trilogy for some fans, considering the original anime film was just one feature. Fans should note that Katsuhiro Otomo's original manga, when collected, filled six sizable volumes. The original film condensed the story considerably, excising much of the second half.

Nolan has an history with Warner Bros, and he worked on Inception with Leonardo DiCaprio, whose production company is developing the film. It's not inconceivable that these parties would collaborate again, but would an auteur such as Nolan really want to sign up for another licensed adaptation trilogy so soon after finishing his Batman franchise? It's all just rumor for now, so we'll have to wait and see.