Variety reported today that James Robinson, who wrote the screenplay for Alan Moore's League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, is writing the screenplay for the live action version of Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira.  Robinson told Variety that he was trying '...to retain as many iconic elements of the anime as possible.'  As previously reported, Stephen Norrington (Blade I), who is currently directing The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, will direct and Jon (Superman) Peters will produce (see 'Akira Remake Planned'). 

Among the interesting questions raised by the new film -- who, if anyone, will publish a comic book adaptation of the film?  DC Comics would certainly have the inside track, given the fact that Warner Brothers is an affiliated AOL company, but Dark Horse has the rights to Otomo's original Akira manga series and Tokyopop the rights to the 'cine-manga' movie adaptation of the anime.