Albert Hughes to Direct 'Akira' Without His Brother?

The Hughes Brothers made their return to theaters earlier this year with The Book of Eli. Turns out, it cost too much; the $80 million movie only made about $140 worldwide, and that's before the advertising costs. Not a hit. Still, it had its moments and I didn't walk away from it thinking I'd hate to see another Hughes Brothers movie. The next thing in line might be Akira, the Leonardo DiCaprio-led live-action adaptation. But there's a catch: It may not be directed by both brothers. Harry Knowles says Albert Hughes is in talks to direct it, while Allen has been lining up an HBO pilot called Gentlemen of Leisure. Advantage, Albert. Knowles points out that even though this isn't the first time Allen and Albert have directed projects separately, this would be the biggest such maneuver to date. And it doesn't mean that Allen wouldn't be involved with Akira, just that he'd probably work behind-the-scenes as a producer or possibly as a consultant. Either way, a Hughes Akira is an interesting prospect, and I'll be interested to see if it's more lo-fi than the manga would suggest. And if it is, I'm not saying it completely justifies making the movie, but if it can be demonstrated that the intention is to make Akira take on a slightly new visual form, then that's a start.