Keanu Reeves Circling Warner Bros.' Akira

Akira, the English-language, live-action take on the landmark anime and manga property, is zeroing in on its star, and it just might be Keanu Reeves.

Warner Bros. has been having a tough time finding the two leads of the movie, to be directed by Albert Hughes. In the script, the action moves from Neon-Tokyo to New Manhattan, where a biker gang leader tries to save his best friend from a medical experiment that threatens to unleash destructive powers.

Actors ranging from James Franco and Joseph Gordon-Levitt to Robert Pattinson and Michael Fassbender have circled the project in some form or fashion as the studio sought to find an A-list lead.

Now comes word that Reeves has held talks with the studio, with whom he already made the massively successful Matrix movies, for the part of Kaneda, the gang leader. Reeves doesn't yet have an offer for the role, but we hear the talks with his reps have been going well.

Reeves anchoring the project could serve as a strong lure for another A-lister to take the role of Tetsuo, the best friend.

Andrew Lazar is producing with Appian Way's Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran.

Reeves, repped by CAA and 3 Arts Entertainment, is currently shooting the samauri action pic 47 Ronin for Universal.

The film tells the story of a biker gang leader who tries to save his best friend from a medical experiment.

Will there be any Japanese in this film?

'Daredevil' Showrunner to Write 'Akira' Adaptation for Warner Bros.

Warner Bros. is revving up the engines again for Akira.

Marco J. Ramirez, the scribe who will be co-showrunning the second season of Netflix’s Daredevil, will write Akira, the Warner Bros. long-in-the-works adaptation of the Japanese manga classic.

Andrew Lazar (American Sniper) and Leonardo DiCaprio’s shingle Appian Way are producing the adaptation, which has faced plenty of ups and downs since Warners acquired the rights to the manga in 2008. While numerous writers, directors and stars darted to and from the project, the closest it came to getting made was in 2012 when Garrett Hedlund, Kristen Stewart, Ken Watanabe and Helena Bonham Carter were in various stages of dealmaking.

Jaume Collet-Serra was to direct when the plug was pulled and the Vancouver facilities closed due to casting, script and budget issues.

The original manga, which ran throughout the 1980s, was set in a post-nuclear apocalypse of Neo-Tokyo and told of two brothers, both in biker gangs, who find themselves pitted against each other when one begins abusing his newly acquired telekinetic powers.

Ramirez, repped by UTA, cut his teeth on shows such as Sons of Anarchy and Da Vinci’s Demons (on which he also was producer) before writing episodes for Daredevil’s first season. From there, he graduated to run the second season with Doug Petrie, taking over from Steven DeKnight.

Drew Crevello and Nik Mavinkurve are overseeing Akira for Warners.