Jordan Peele Explains Why He Turned Down Directing ‘Akira’
Following his mega-successful directorial debut “Get Out,” Jordan Peele was approached by Warner Bros. to helm the long-planned live-action adaptation of the iconic cyberpunk manga “Akira.” However, the director turned down the offer.
“I think [I could do it] if the story justifies it,” Peele told Blumhouse.com. “‘Akira’ is one of my favorite movies, and I think obviously the story justifies as big a budget as you can possibly dream of. But the real question for me is: Do I want to do pre-existing material, or do I want to do original content? At the end of the day, I want to do original stuff.”
So, what is next for Peele? According to The Hollywood Reporter, the director, who recently signed a two-year first-look deal with Universal Pictures, is working on another social thriller, which he will write, helm and produce, just as he did with “Get Out.”
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Peele told Blumhouse.com, “You know, here’s the thing… when they say you gotta try and top [the success of ‘Get Out’], it’s like yes, in some ways, but for me that can mean a bunch of different things. I don’t want to try and make the same movie again. I want to make a very different movie — a movie that utilizes some of the same things that worked for me about ‘Get Out,’ but a completely different movie.”
As for a “Get Out” sequel, the director said, “Look, I feel like there’s much more depth to the world [of ‘Get Out’]. I would only deliver the audience a sequel if I felt like I was going to beat the original. So you know, I’m on the case. I’m on the case.”
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