Franco 'in talks for live-action Akira'

James Franco is reportedly in talks to take on the lead role in the upcoming live action adaptation of Akira.

According to JustJared, Franco is interested in playing the film's lead character Kaneda, a biker gang leader who is forced to stop his best friend Tetsuo after he undergoes a horrifying transformation.

The Book Of Eli director Albert Hughes is attached to direct the project, which will be an adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo's six-volume manga epic.

Earlier this month, it was reported that Franco was also in talks to replace Robert Downey Jr in Sam Raimi's The Wizard Of Oz prequel as the film's titular character.