The unkillable live action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's Akira manga and animated feature is currently getting a script rewrite after having its budget cut, but that doesn't mean fans can't catch a glimpse of an earlier draft of the film that would've transformed rival Japanese teenage motorcycle gang members Shōtarō Kaneda and Tetsuo Shima into white, tavern-owning American siblings. Artist Jeffrey Errico (Crank, Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil) has posted eight pages of storyboards from what would've been the opening title sequence for an early version of the film, which see Kaneda cruise to the outskirts of a crater that was once Neo-Manhattan on his iconic motorcycle. Though nearly every component of the movie has been panned by longtime fans of the original material (and even actors like George Takei) up to this point, it's worth noting that Errico's art is largely faithful to its source - from its general aesthetic to the futuristic design of Kaneda's ride. In short: at least Errico was working to make the live action film legit. See what you think of the storyboards from the currently stalled live action Akira movie after the jump.

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[Via ANN]

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