I just don't understand why Hollywood keeps insisting to make adaptations of anything in pop culture, like popular 80s TV series, after-school cartoons, and comic books, even if the major demographic of moviegoers don't have the childhood connection to generate genuine interest to see the movie. Now, Hollywood wants to do more graphic novel films (with Surrogates, which stars Bruce Willis, being the latest) and try its hands on an Anime classic.
Warner Bros. is currently trying to have a screenplay for Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira, which is about a teenage motorcycle gang whose youngest member, Tetsuo, becomes the subject of a government experiment after he exhibits psychic powers soon after an accident. Akira, to some of you, is a six-volume black and white graphic novel (or manga) that explores what would happen if an ordinary person with a troubled personality is suddenly given a dangerous yet powerful ability. What would such power do to that person? Change him/her for the better or worse?
Akira is one of my all-time favorite graphic novel and anime because of the style of the presentation and the ambiguity of the antagonist and protagonist elements. It also contains many sub-plots that may seem to blur the storyline but actually more of vantage points necessary to detail the intrepid message of the novel. The maturing process of both Tetsuo and Akeda is epic and one of the story's most unforgettable event. Overall, Otomo's ability to combine great action with even greater drama make Akira a masterpiece. Hence, a cult classic.
Stomp The Yard director Sylvain White wants to make Frank Miller's Ronin into his own 300. Well, actually, he wants to make a 3D movie out of it. Having been forced to cancel his previous Castlevania (video game franchise about a bloodline of vampire slayers that battle Dracula throughout the ages) project, White is determined to make this project work.
In 1983 and 1984, Ronin is a limited comic book series published by DC Comics and involves a nameless young samurai (the ronin) who must destroy a demon called Agat, with its own supernatural sword, in near future New York City.
The comic book series is vintage Frank Miller — gorgeous but dark at the edges. The original but bizarre storyline and such absorbing characters combined with the beautifully illustrated images make Ronin a classic. Just like Akira, Ronin has many layers that all intertwine and make for an enormously entertaining story.
The first mistake White mentioned about his plans for Ronin is that he wants to present the movie in 3D. Saying that you're planning on making a movie in 3D just speaks "I don't know what I'm doing" and "I don't know how to make this movie the right way." 3D is a tool to enhance a movie. Yet all of a sudden, everyone wants to make a 3D movie like their some teenager who just got his/her first cell phone.
If White really knows what he's doing with Ronin, why make it 3D?
This is the single most annoying and biggest problem I have with Hollywood filmmakers. To those who think their ego is big enough to tackle materials such as Akira and Ronin, which are bigger than any Hollywood ego by the way, are some of the stupidest and disrespectful people on the planet. What makes you think that your "version" will be better than the original? What gives you the right to change anything in the novel and hope that the fans would just swallow it? Having said that, just because your version could make a lot of money (or not) does not make it a successful movie.
But then again, that is the reason why isn't it? Yeah, these filmmakers think they're doing something different yet they're really just doing the same thing what another person has done before. But, it all comes down to making a name and making lots of money. Isn't it? Who cares if you hack a true classic down to its bones? Who cares if your version unnecessarily makes people look at the original materials a different way?
Don't get me wrong. There's nothing wrong with making a name for yourself and make tons of money doing it. All I ask is do something original for a change. Now that would be a story. Wouldn't it?
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