Ken Watanabe Offered The Role Of The Colonel In "Akira"

He's in talks for the part that Gary Oldman recently passed on.

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Complex Original

Image via Complex Original

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After Gary Oldman passed on the role of The Colonel in Warner Brothers' live-action adaptation of Akira, Twitch is reporting that the role has now been offered to Ken Watanabe. If Watanabe accepts, he will be the first Japanese actor to be cast in the movie, which is based on a Japanese manga and anime. 

Over the past few years, Watanabe has become one of the most prolific Japanese actors to make it big in America. He has starred in hits like Inception, The Last Samurai, and Batman Begins, and he already has a built-in relationship with Warner Brothers. 

The addition of Watanabe would go a long way towards adding credibility to the rumored cast of the movie, which includes hit-and-miss talent such as Kristen Stewart and Garrett Hedlund

[via Twitch]

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