Best known for playing tragic hero characters, such as Katsumoto Moritsugu in The Last Samurai, for which he was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor, a Japanese thesp Ken Watanabe is the leading actor currently wanted for the role of the Colonel in Warner Bros' adaptation of Akira.
His Batman Begins co-star Gary Oldman had been offered the part late in October, but WB was unable to close the deal.
The Colonel Shikishima is the director of the secret government project that is holding Tetsuo, a powerful and potential dangerous psychic, in captivity. The story will be set to hit the streets of Neo-Manhattan instead of Neo Tokyo and it's expected that the character's names will be changed too.
The adaptation of the 1980s manga and the 1988 classic anime film by the same name has been mentioned during casting all-Caucasian actors like Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Gary Oldman, Helena Bonham Carter and Ezra Miller.
Spanish director Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown) has also recently replaced Albert and Allen Hughes. As the intended start of filming is in the spring, we may have some confirmed casting news for you soon.
Watanabe, probably the most recognized Japanese actor in America is also known for his role in director Christopher Nolan's recent Hollywood blockbuster Inception. His next role is in the fighting game movie called Tekken, in which he will play Heihachi Mishima.
The Colonel – Akira
Source: Twitch
