DiCaprio Considers SMAP for Ninja Scroll Film

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/news/2009-04-06/paper/dicaprio-considers-smap-for-ninja-scroll-film
"The Nikkan Sports newspaper reports that Hollywood figure Leonardo DiCaprio is considering casting Japan's SMAP entertainment group as the main leads in Warner Brothers and Appian Way's proposed live-action adaptation of the Ninja Scroll anime. Yoshiaki Kawajiri wrote and directed the original 1993 anime about a wandering ninja fighting a conspiracy of demons. Appian Way is DiCaprio's production company which acquired the rights to the anime last year. In addition to performing a string of hit singles, the five members of SMAP — Masahiro Nakai, Takuya Kimura, Tsuyoshi Kusanagi, Goro Inagaki and Shingo Katori — have acted in many films based on manga and anime. However, they have not acted together in the same film since 1994's Shoot.

According to Nikkan Sports, casting is in progress with DiCaprio's expressed intention to "cast with Japanese people." In November, DiCaprio told MTV's Splash Page that he is producing both this project and the proposed live-action adaptation of the Akira anime for Warner and Appian Way, but emphasized that he does "not really" have any interest in acting in them. In the same interview he professed to be a big fan of both Akira and Ninja Scroll, and added, "I know there a lot of loyal fans out there of the project and die-hard fans, so we're going to try to do the best job we possibly can and we're not going to make the movie until the script is in the right shape."

At a SMAP event at the end of last year, Nakai said, "I want to do a movie with [all the members of] SMAP." SMAP's agency told Nikkan Sports, "We have no official comment, but if this comes to fruition, we would certainly want to consider it strongly.""

Oh "goodie"...We'll see about that script.

ANOTHER ONE!?

Dicraprio alone makes the movie automatically fail. He's also going to ruin Akira by starring as Kaneda.

DiCaprio is a director no? At least he says he's the one doing the casting. Let's just see. We can't let DBE influence our opinions like that. Always give things a chance Nikku.
Also, DiCaprio is a very good actors. The awards he's won aren't just favors and popularity things. I just don't think he would do well in a LAM :S

^I have nothing against that guy...never cared much about him. But I wouldn't like to see him in a adaptation of an anime, book,etc. Luckily he's going to be behind the camera this time, I'm not too happy about that one either. I really have no desire to see Ninja Scroll, let alone Akira as a movie adaptation. I just hoping that the script won't suck as much as a certain one I won't even mention. >.<

So we can speak of other movies in this thread too?

As far as I know SMAP is a group of comedians, know by doing a pretty weird kind of comedy, more like parodies, so i dont imagine them in Ninja Scroll.

This movies would be a thousand times better if they where made in japan without any american influence.

But then Leonardo Di Capprio is NOT a hack like the people who made DBE, he is actually a good actor and producer, and if he plans to cast japanese people he already shows more respect for the source material.

I mean i have my doubts, specially about Akira, but as long as he does not play Kaneda or anyone else for that matter, im willing to give it a chance.

Maybe he really is a fan, i guess well have to see.

Thanks ningen for the news, intresting...
I don't know, I'll tell the first part of my opinion which will ALWAYS sound the same
1.I DON'T LIKE the whole anime to live action idea at least not anime to hollywood live action idea AT ALL.

And the second part of my opinion is pretty much all about...oh well fine if he make it decent without any stupid things and changes of characters and base story then fine with me but if he rapes Ninja Scroll just as Fox raped SF(two times) and DB then I am gonna be the first one to sign somebodies petition against it if there would be any one of those.

Ninja Scroll was always one of my favorite animes and one of the first anime movies I ever saw, oh and not to forget that mine old, unavoidable and picky "I love its artstyle very much!"

SMAP is a pop group

G'damn, I came in here and saw taloc's post and thought he returned. then I saw the date...I'm depressed now.

Yeah leo is good and all but anime LAMS are not for him!
*gets a disturbing mental picture of kaneda holding tetsuo up on the balcony of the titanic*
...ewwww damn my mind