In the search for material, movie studios have hit the bottom of the comic-book barrel. (Jonah Hex? Really?) Now they're turning to anime and manga for inspiration, which Complex details in the 2009 Style & Design package from our latest issue. Read on to learn about four manga titles that might be going Hollywood on us. And no, we're not counting Astro Boy...
AKIRA, PARTS I & II
SYNOPSIS: In post- apocalyptic Tokyo, the leader of a bike gang tries to save a friend from military experiments and execution.
CHALLENGING ELEMENT: Psychokinetic abilities that let one explode like a human A-bomb may be risky in the age of the suicide bomber.
BIG NAME ATTACHED: Leo DiCaprio (producer)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------DEATH NOTE
SYNOPSIS: When a high-school student finds a death god's supernatural notebook that allows him to kill anyone whose name he writes in it, he uses it to snuff out evildoers.
CHALLENGING ELEMENT: Given the rise of school killings, something tells us principals won't be lining up to endorse this one.
BIG NAME ATTACHED: None yet. Cowards!
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------COWBOY BEBOP
SYNOPSIS: In post-apocalyptic (sense a theme?) space, a crew of bounty hunters (a.k.a. "cowboys") on the ship Bebop track down criminals.
CHALLENGING ELEMENT: Kids will love the source material's jazz themes!
BIG NAME ATTACHED: Keanu Reeves
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------SCOTT PILGRIM
SYNOPSIS: A dickish Canadian slacker has to thrash his dream chick's evil ex-boyfriends to get it popping with her.
CHALLENGING ELEMENT: Making Pilgrim even more like Michael Cera, so he can continue his "most movies playing himself" streak.
BIG NAME ATTACHED: Cera, Mary Elizabeth Winstead, Jason Schwartzman. We smell an emo hit!
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