Late last month, we brought you the news when Warner Bros. Pictures finally gave the live-action adaptation of Katsuhiro Otomo‘s graphic novel Akira the greenlight. Jaume Collet-Serra (Unknown) is confirmed to direct the film, and we also told you that Garrett Hedlund (Tron: Legacy) was being considered a front-runner for the lead role, which he is reportedly now in final negotiations for.

In addition to Hedlund scoring the role of Kaneda, we also brought you the as-yet-unconfirmed rumor that Gary Oldman (The Dark Knight Rises) and Helena Bonham Carter (Dark Shadows) were being offered the roles of Colonel Shikishima aka The Colonel and Lady Miyako respectively. The studio has not made those offers public, nor have reps for the actors confirmed that they have accepted (or declined) those roles.

THR now reports that Warner Bros. has now moved on to casting Tetsuo, Kaneda’s best friend, and a young man with telekinetic abilities who becomes a dangerous weapon. Ezra Miller (The Perks of Being a Wallflower) and Alden Ehrenreich (Running Wild, Tetro) are both reportedly reading for the part.

Otomo’s novel was first adapted as an animated feature, also titled Akira, in 1988. The film earned $84m at the US box office in less than a month. Otomo will act as executive producer on this live action adaptation.

Akira is slated to hit theaters in 2013.