If you're even slightly interested in Japanese animation, or indeed cult cinema in general, chances are you have seen the classic 1988 movie Akira. The interweb is abuzz once again, as for about the third time plans are afoot to make a live-action Hollywood adaptation. This time however the plans are to turn the somewhat epic multiple-volume comic series that spawned the movie into two movies, one of which may hit screens as early as next year. Although in theory this sounds better than previous adaptations (one of which was to be helmed by Stephen Norrington, director of two of the worst films of all time Blade, and The League Of Extraordinary Gentlemen) but it's still a bad idea. I've always been sceptical about attempts to bring this film to live action- the action will be moved from Neo Tokyo to 'New Manhattan', and rumours suggest Leonardo DiCaprio may play the lead Kaneda (note to casting directors: he's waaay too old to be playing a teenager). It's too early to get too worried though.As I said before, this is at least the third attempt to bring this adaptation to the big screen, so who's to say that this time will be any more successful? This is one of those projects which seems to be permanently stuck in development hell. Fingers crossed that it remains there.