Even if you’ve watched Akira multiple times, you may not have seen it presented on the big screen before… and very likely not in 4K and IMAX. That opportunity arrives September 4, when Crunchyroll and Sony bring Katsuhiro Otomo‘s hugely influential and much-loved 1988 cyberpunk anime back to theaters.
Thankfully, Hollywood’s oft-threatened plans for an Akira remake have gone quiet for the moment, but there’s always a chance they make a comeback. In the meantime, the groundbreaking original is getting a much-deserved showcase that will likely add more fans to the “please don’t remake this” side of the argument.
Here’s the official synopsis for Akira:
July, 1988—World War III breaks loose. Then, in 2019, in megalopolis Tokyo…
As the leader of a group of young robust delinquents, Kaneda spent his nights tearing through the urban wastes, racing his motorbike against rival groups. One night while riding with his gang, his friend Tetsuo suddenly encounters a strange boy—the product of human experimentation—and is injured in the ensuing crash.
Shortly thereafter, a military squadron appears on the scene to take the boy and Tetsuo away to an army research facility. Determined to free Tetsuo from capture, Kaneda sneaks into the army research lab. However, a regimen of extreme experimental procedures has awakened a new power in his friend, and now he is consumed by madness…
Akira will be presented in Japanese with English subtitles and an English dub. Crunchyroll released a suitably dazzling new trailer trumpeting the special engagement:
There’s also a new poster:
Will you be journeying to Neo Tokyo (via your local movie theater) when Akira returns?
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