As production kicks off in Wellington, New Zealand on the live-action adaptation of classic anime/manga Ghost In The Shell, Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks have released the first glimpse of Scarlett Johansson in the lead role of The Major (originally Major Motoko Kusanagi).
The original Ghost In The Shell anime is considered to be one of the best examples of the genre along with Akira, and remains a hugely popular property. So, there were some angry cries of “whitewashing” when Johansson was announced as having nabbed the lead role – though the recent addition of the legendary Beat Takeshi to the cast did earn some goodwill.
Of course, it’s still a bit too early to tell how the film will ultimately turn out, but we’re definitely digging Johansson’s look in the image above.
Ghost In the Shell is currently set for a March 31, 2017 release, and you can check out the first official synopsis below for more information on what to expect.
Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, “GHOST IN THE SHELL” follows the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology.