THR is telling us that Keanu Reeves is the latest actor to be circling the very pricey Warner Bros. project Akira. Reeves is looking at the role of Kaneda, a role that previously had Garrett Hedlund, Michael Fassbender, Chris Pine, Justin Timberlake and Joaquin Phoenix circling it. Apparently Brad Pitt and Ryan Gosling were also offered the role but they passed. The PG-13 two film franchise is carrying a hefty price tag of $230 million, so whoever Warner Bros. ends up choosing, they need to make sure it’s a big enough name to make back all the money they spend on making the film.
It looks like the studio is hoping that if Reeves joins, he’ll be enough to get some other big names to sign on. The only problem I see with this is that Reeves isn’t that big a star anymore. His days of entering the Matrix are over and the guy hasn’t had a bonafide hit in a long time. Sure, his name is recognizable but will it pull North American audiences into theatres for a film based off a Japenese magna?
What do you think?
