I am … Tetsuoooooooooooo!!!! You hear that? That’s the sound of Variety confirming a rumor that has been on the net for months and months now — a live-action “Akira” movie, based on the graphic novels by Katsuhiro Otomo, who later directed the 1988 animated movie — is true: Warner Bros. isn’t just making a live-action “Akira” movie, they’re making two!

More:

Warner Bros. will turn anime artist Katsuhiro Otomo’s six-volume graphic novel “Akira” into two live-action feature films, the first of which is being fast tracked for release in summer 2009. Legendary will co-finance with WB.

Each feature will be based on three of the books in Otomo’s series. The story takes place in New Manhattan, a metropolis that was rebuilt after being destroyed 31 years earlier. Otomo will exec produce the films.

Warner, who shelled out seven-figures for the right to remake the movie, has assigned directing duties to Irishman Ruairi Robinson (”The Silent City”), and Legendary, who produced the CGI-heavy “300″, will be shepherding the film down the production line.

The thing I’m most looking forward to? Man, how are they going to do a live-action version of those bloody awesome bikes…?

And oh yeah, P.S. — according to AICN, producer Leonardo Dicaprio will also star in the film as Kaneda, the lead! (That would be him holding the big up in the above pic, and on the cool ride below.)