Jaume Collet-Serra Tapped to Direct 'Akira' for Warner Bros.

Leonardo DiCaprio is producing the project, which has a script by "Harry Potter" scribe Steve Kloves.

2:44 PM PDT 7/14/2011 by Jay A. Fernandez

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Jaume Collet-Serra has been tapped to take on Warner Bros.' adaptation of Akira. The anime property has been in development with a succession of writers and directors since WB grabbed the rights in 2008, but now the Spanish Unknown director has the helm for the live-action film version.

Harry Potter adapter Steve Kloves has written the most recent draft of the screenplay, which is designed to turn Katsuhiro Otomo's classic graphic novel into a tentpole with a mid-level budget along the lines of WB's Clash of the Titans.

Leonardo DiCaprio and Jennifer Davisson Killoran of Appian Way are producing with Andrew Lazar of Mad Chance.

The CAA-repped Collet-Serra has directed the films House of Wax, Goal II: Living the Dream, Orphan and Unknown, which grossed $131 million worldwide earlier this year.