She’s usually found getting all moody over vampire beau Edward in the Twilight films, but Kristen Stewart has been establishing herself elsewhere with a mix of indie movies and the upcoming Snow White And The Huntsman. Now Warners thinks she might just be right for the cast of Akira, sending out an offer for her to play Kei.
The long-gestating film finds bike gang leader Kaneda (Garrett Hedlund, provided he too locks down a deal) dealing with what happens when his best friend Tetsuo is the subject of a government experiment – one that threatens to unlock the lad’s frightening psychic potential and may end up destroying an entire city.
Stewart is being courted to play Kei, a young medium who falls for Kaneda. If she does end up joining the cast, she may appear alongside Helena Bonham Carter and Gary Oldman, who are also in talks. While her Twilight pedigree will probably cause strong reactions to this news, both positive and negative, it's worth remembering that she has a long history in indie movies and is not inherently uncool.
Director Jaume Collet-Sera is looking to kick off filming on Akira in March.