Paramount Pictures unveiled the first trailer for the much-awaited Ghost in the Shell live-action film on Sunday morning. The big screen adaptation stars Scarlett Johansson as The Major, and it pays homage to the original releases of the franchise.
The first look at the upcoming ‘Ghost in the Shell’ film follows some controversy over the movie’s cast. The source material stars a roster of entirely Japanese characters, while the 2017 title will feature a couple of Hollywood names in prominent roles.
In spite of accusations of ‘whitewashing,’ the producers and directors of the film have stood firmly by their decisions to cast some white actors for the new ‘Ghost in the Shell.’ The film will debut in the U.S. on March 31 next year.
The new ‘Ghost in the Shell’ has some standards to meet
While some fans of the cult classic expected a full-on live-action adaptation of the original 1995 movie, the new trailer looks as if they will not get what they wanted.
The first animated film of the franchise, titled also ‘Ghost in the Shell,’ was a pioneering achievement in animation. Filmmakers praised it both for its visuals and philosophical narrative, and it has even earned its place in history as one of the best-animated films of our time.
Now, the 2017 live-action title starring Scarlett Johansson has the task of living up to the expectations of the first movie under a new global vision. The new ‘Ghost in the Shell’ will mix elements from both the 1995 film and the 2002 series ‘Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex.’
‘Ghost in the Shell’: Plot, cast, and release date (Minor spoilers)
Fans of the franchise will recognize some shots of the trailer as taken straight out of the original animated movie. However, the plot of this film will not follow the exact storyline of the first ‘Ghost in the Shell.’
Scarlett Johansson stars the film as The Major, known in the original as Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg part of Tokyo’s Section 9 cybersecurity task force.
Under the instructions of Chief Daisuke Aramaki (Takashi Kano) and with Batou (Pilou Asbaek) as her sidekick, The Major will fight a new terrorist threat to Hanka Robotic’s AI operations.
Michael Pitt will star as Hideo Kuze and, presumably, The Laughing Man. The Laughing Man was the main villain throughout the ‘Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex’ series. His actions are crucial for the development of events in the show, and they might be too in the upcoming movie.
Other members of the cast include Juliette Binoche as Dr. Ouelet, and Chin Han, Lasarus Rautere, Danusia Samal, Yutaka Izumihara, and Tuwanda Manyimo as members of the Public Security Section 9 team.
‘Ghost in the Shell’ debuts on theaters in the U.S. on March 31, 2017.
Source: Coming Soon