Akira to go live with DiCaprio?

The Departed star Leonardo DiCaprio has reportedly struck a deal with Warner Bros studios for a live action adaptation of animated 1988 classic Akira, according to reports.

DiCaprio, whose previous credits include Romeo and Juliet, Catch Me If You Can and The Aviator, will produce the new version, which would ideally be a two-movie epic, the Hollywood Reporter said.

Akira was set in a post-apocalyptic Neo Tokyo in 2019 where a government experiment unleashed the murderous supernatural powers of a teenager biker. It follows the gang's leader, Kaneda, as he races to stop the destruction, battling corrupt politicians and military leaders along the way.

It is credited with the rise of Japanese anime during the 1990s.

According to the paper, the new film will see the action transplanted to New Manhattan. Ruairi Robinson, who was nominated for an Oscar for his animated short Fifty Percent Grey in 2001, will direct.

Warner Bros is reportedly targeting a summer 2009 release for the first film.

Leonardo DiCaprio last appeared on cinema screens in 2006's Blood Diamond, alongside Jennifer Connolly and Gladiator's Djimon Hounsou.

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