Movies based on anime have proven to be extremely hard to adapt.
Most recently, Warner Bros. reportedly pursued Jordan Peele, but he (wisely) declined the offer to direct.
A live-action film based on the highly influential 1988 film has been in development since 2002 but has never been able to secure a director for long.
Recent examples like Ghost in the Shell and Death Note failed to really land with fans, and while both movies endured their fair amount of controversy, that isn’t stopping Warner Bros. from trying to tackle the king of all anime movies: Akira.