'Akira' Criticized By Would-Be Star Toby Kebbell

Ah, the "Akira" project that could have been. The film has been on hold since January, and it doesn't seem like that's going to change anytime soon. And if Toby Kebbell -- who was up for the role of Tetsuo -- is to be believed, that's probably for the best.

"[Warner Bros] were like, 'This is going to be a big franchise!' So I said, 'Then in that case, understand that I've read the comics, and I've read the comics that got turned into the annuals, and then the annuals that got turned into the one-off anime. So if you really want to do it, then why don't you look at the six comics and just put two into each film?'" Kebbell explained to IFC while promoting "Wrath of the Titans."

He continued: "They were like, 'Welllll…' So I told them, 'Then this is a remake [of the animated movie], and I don't want to do a live-action remake of the cartoon, because [the cartoon] is perfect and you're not going to do it dark enough — so therefore, I don't want to do it."

If it wasn't obvious to you from the above statements, Kebbell is a pretty big fan of the "Akira" source material. So needless to say, he jumped at the chance to play Tetsuo in a film adaptation.

"I was desperate to play Tetsuo, but Tetsuo in the comic and annual form," he said. "He's brilliant in the anime, but if you know anything about the comics, they cut so much of the story out. You care about him, because it's brilliantly done, but you don't really care about Kaneda, who isn't."

Unfortunately, the studio wasn't quite as concerned about staying dedicated to the source material as Kebbell was. Case in point: they were going to turn main characters Tetsuo and Kaneda into brothers instead of friends.

"I was like, 'The point is that Tetsuo can't comprehend how someone who isn't his brother could love him so much — and that's where his wrath and his rage come from. Do you not see that? Why have you made them brothers?'" Kebbell lamented.

Sounds like this adaptation would be better off staying shelved for the time being.

What do you think of this development in the ongoing "Akira" saga? Tell us in the comments section below or on Twitter!