Dreamworks has been trying to cast the lead for their upcoming adaptation of the hugely popular anime Ghost in the Shell for a long time. At one point there were very strong rumors that Margot Robbie (Focus, Suicide Squad) had secured the lead and immediately the debate began over her hair color and ethnicity. At some point Robbie, moved on and more rumors surfaced linking Scarlett Johansson to the role. A few months later those negotiations have come to a close and Johansson will be headlining the science-fiction action film.

Ghost in the Shell will be directed by Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) and is about a cyber-terrorism happening in the city of Niihama. It takes place in the future, where the link between the human mind and computers has been bridged. Johansson has signed on to play the main character, Major Motoko Kusanagi, who will surely have a name change which will reflect the western influence on the production. Such changes may be the hardest for some fans of the source material to accept, as the aesthetics will surely be molded for American audiences. Motoko is a cybernetic secret agent who works for a special unit that specializes in technological crime. However much like most manga and anime, the plot and subtext goes a lot deeper than then the surface action would suggest.

Thanks to the success of The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier, and Lucy, Johannson has worked her way up to becoming one of the biggest female movie stars of today. She is also particularly suited for this role, as she has shown that she has the action physicality and the ability to act like a human robot in Lucy. It is actually more surprising that she took the role due to the possibility of being typecasted. However, there are worse scenarios than to be highly sought after to lead action franchises, ask Jennifer Lawrence. Johansson also does have a diverse set of films coming our way with the Coen Brothers’ Hail, Caesar! and The Jungle Book around the corner.

 

There is not a firm release date, but expect things to start moving very fast as they now have their star in place which will ensure a greenlight. We will make sure to keep you up to date on the latest info on Ghost in the Shell. 

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Source: Variety