Scarlett Johannson to star in Ghost in the Shell movie

http://io9.com/scarlett-johansson-will-star-in-ghost-in-the-shell-live-1677533563

So what does everyone here think of this? I'm not one to complain about white-washing in western movies, I think that you have to cater to your audience. But this casting seems really off-base here. It makes me wonder if they are even planning on using Japan as the setting for the movie. Will the character still be named Motoko? I had high hopes for this movie when it was announced years ago, but this doesn't seem to bode well for it. Thoughts?

Maybe I'm biased but I love Scarlett, so this was basically Christmas 2.0 for me when I heard about it.

When America remakes Asian films they usually don't stick to the original setting or anything so I doubt it, but hey, Scarlett Johansson can pull off most roles I reckon.

It would be great if they stuck to the very broad strokes of the themes and dumped everything else. Better still if they even dumped the name.

I'm not certain they can replicate what makes GiTS great, in America. This is doubly true when you consider the other talent involved in this production.

No way this film sticks anywhere close to the source. For example, there will probably be 50 different shots of Motoko looking into the center of the camera with a completely blank stare, lips slightly parted.

(the fuck is up with these forums? My original post didn't even get posted...)

I think she's a talented, well-rounded actress which you would very much need for a character like Motoko who can often be quite complex so I'm not too worried about casting. It's the fucking director that scares me. Nothing he has done fills me with the least bit of confidence. That said, I'm hoping...praying to the gods I don't believe in that you don't try to tackle something like GITS without some sort of reverence for the source material and a decent budget to match. But then again, this is Hollywood so...man, I dunno.

White washing aside, GITS is not a franchise necessarily tied to Japan, like say, Akira. So it's fine if they set it somewhere else for an American release. That said, with all due respect to ScarJo, there's no way this movie will be good.

It's super baffling that Scarlett Johansson has become the go to action female. I think she's all over the place when it comes to acting.Sometimes shes good, at other times she's wooden and horrible. I don't give a fuck about her not being asian, the story ...assuming this is based on the anime movie doesn't require her to be.

I'm sure she'll do a bunch of CGI assisted flipping and shooting and it'll make a cool trailer I guess. I've learnt over time that getting up in arms about movies like this before they come out is pointless... and if it sucks I always have the original and can ignore this exists.

The director is the most worrying thing. That Snow White movie was such a fucking bore. How do you make a movie with such beautiful visuals, and a twisted Charlize Theron so uninteresting?

I bet twenty quid she beats the spider tank at the end of the Hollywood movie.

excellent choice. i'm more worried about the director. plus i'm sure it'll be pg-13 which means targeted for younger audiences which means dumbing it down which means not doing it justice...

*gross sobbing*

If this were made before Lucy came out, then I would be 100% with you in saying that it'll probably end up being PG-13. But since Lucy did amazing at the box office and that was R, I bet they'll go ahead and make this R as well.

Regardless of the rating, this is Hollywood, they will dumb it down...

@redbullet685: Lucy is a french production. Ghost in the Shell is an american hollywood production. so i guess it's possible it could be rated r but i'm doubtful. regardless, i have zero faith in it...

Remember Aeon Flux?

This will be something like that.

What in the world would make you think a Ghost in the Shell Hollywood movie would ever take place in Japan?

Even if it did, the entire cast would be American and it would be about American Scientists/Tourists in Japan.

I thought James Cameron wanted to do this?

Nah, he's talked about doing Battle Angel Alita for years.

Doesn't matter who's in the lead role, it'll be a shit movie regardless.

Can't wait to see this movie alongside the live-action Akira. Both of these movies are so totally coming out. It's great.

@sravankb: I suspect this will be the case as well.

Oh god, I'm eating.

You also gotta remember that most anime to live action films usually tend to suck. The only ones that were actually good that I've seen were the Kenshin Live Action films. I also thought that Tokyo Tribes Live Action looked decent but I've only seen the trailer.

I think even if they tow the line and offer deep concepts about technology and humanity and seat of the soul etc i still don't see the point much. It's not going to be animated which the original gits still blows my mind today, and it's going to be chock full of the same fake rubbery cgi that made the hobbit so disappointing to me. Maybe if niell blomkamp directed (but didnt write)...

Scarjo isn't terrible but i don't like her in this role. Frankly anyone but an unknown probably wouldnt work for me.

Of course it's not going to be set in Japan. I'm fine with that.

I don't see Kusanagi in Johannson, but I suppose it's not a terrible choice. I'd worry more about the director and writer. Their movies got mediocre reviews and the director has only done one movie.

I liked Avatar, but it pains me knowing I'll probably have to wait for two sequels before he even gets started on Battle Angel Alita.

I don't have a great feeling about any of this.

Great! Though I am sorry for all of you people that hoped on a good adaptation of the anime.

She is perfect in every way, shape and form.

I am not a fan of anime in general but I do like Scarlett Johannson. This is perhaps one of the only things they could have done to make me interested in this movie in any way.

I really don't like the english dub of Ghost in the Shell, so this might actually be preferable in that respect. I wonder if she will do the fight scenes in the nude...

All I know about Ghost In the Shell is playing a demo of a PS1 game in the late 90's. I remember robots that looked like spiders and a naked woman with wires coming out of her.

Doesn't matter, this movie's never getting made. It hasn't even been officially greenlit yet.

To be fair, when Motoko isn't talking to anyone or blowing shit up, that's like...exactly what she does most of the time.

The first episode of Arise is solely composed of that.

The movie or the anime series? I vastly prefer the dub in the anime series, but the original movie's dub is admittedly all over the place.

I really have a hard time seeing Johannson as Kusanagi, but I guess it's not impossible she could pull it off.

@gunstarred: He's mentioned both, but talked about Battle Angel more often.

The real question is who plays Togusa and do they buy up one of the few real deal Mateba's or do they go with a Chiappa Rhino 60DS like it's amateur hour.

All that being said. How about we freak out about something that is actually in production? Yeah?

Yeah.

EARLY SUMMER '15 YALL!

So long as the film is a Hollywood production, I will be expecting the worst, regardless of who is tied to it.

@zeik: The movie. I actually haven't watched the series. I'm not usually a big sub vs dub crusader, but I found the tone of the english dub super weird. Like when the Major catches the mind wiped dude near the beginning after he wastes his ammo. In the japanese one she says "You finished?" and punches him in the face. In this English version she says "AWWWWWWW, you outta AAMMMMO????" or something similar. Like they abandoned the subtlety of the original and made her weirdly sassy, when original Major is more melancholy. Stuff like this goes through the whole movie - things that are implied originally are shouted in your face. Makes the characters sound like morons.

@reverendk: I don't speak or read Japanese, is that a new GitS or a remake?

Ghost In The Shell feels like a series they've "gone to the well one too many times". I have little interest in seeing this unless it is completely and utterly rebooted.

@sgtsphynx: New movie very creatively titled "Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie".

Most of the Arise people are involved if that bothers you. Personally I'm glad she doesn't have Yolandi Visser hair anymore.

Most english dubs suck. In this particular case the japanese voice actors are really good and totally suit the characters.

They have gone to the well 3 times in animated form, with 3 different continuities. There are 2 good continuities and a 3rd (more recent one) which is mediocre.

@reverendk: Oh cool. I actually still need to watch Arise, but as it stands right now, Stand Alone Complex (particularly 2nd Gig) is the pinnacle of GitS for me.

@sgtsphynx: Arise, is very hit or miss. If you don't go in with high expectations, you'll be alright, otherwise skip it.

So you agree especially after considering how many movies they've made too?

It bothers me. I thought Arise was boring, familiar and cheap/amateurish. I stopped watching at episode 2.

Well, I don't even think that highly of Stand Alone Complex or Oshii's adaptations. I think it would be a breath of fresh air if they adopted some of the humor of the manga. The manga also had more action.

@extomar: They have made 2 theatrical movies : the original GiTS and Innocence.

Then here is Standalone Complex: 2 26 ep runs and a TV movie. There are a further 2 movies which are cut down versions of the episodes.

Then there is Arise which is a 4 ep ova.

She is a good actress but I don't think it's a good fit for that role. They need a more commanding, strong female lead - sort of like Sigourney Weaver from the days of Alien.

When did Scarlett Johannson become the it girl for Sci-Fi Action movies? I'm not complaining because she can actually act.

I think there is potential for a fun American live-action PG-13 Summer Blockbuster movie based on Ghost in the Shell. Yeah it's going to pale in comparison to the source material and it's typical Hollywood whitewashing but what are you going to do? Anime/Manga is kinda weird because a lot of it makes the characters seem very Anglophiled to begin with.

If they can pull off the whole cyber punk aesthetic and have a halfway decent plot it will be watchable. If it makes money it might let some studio greenlight Guillermo Del Toro's dream of making a live-action Neon Genesis Evangelion movie.

@humanity: Can you name anyone today that matches Sigourney Weaver? Off the top of my head I cannot, but I totally agree with the sentiment.

Same here, I really don't feel there are any current actresses (that I am aware of at least, and I would happily be proven wrong) who can convincingly play a strong role such as Ripley or Kusanagi.

I think if Charlize Theron was given a better chance than the turd that was Aeon Flux than she could of played a number of Ripley-esque heroines.

Scarlett is actually a really great actress and there is really no one else you could cast in the role who has action movie experience and star power. If they were will to take a chance and cast a lesser known actresses I think any of these would make an alright choice Emily Blunt, Jena Malone, Rinko Kikuchi, or even Elisabeth Olsen.

You got remember that Sigourney Weaver is a legit 6 feet tall which is rare for both actresses and actors so that helped.