Ghost in the Shell (2017 film)

Premise

Cyborg counter-cyberterrorist field commander The Major (Scarlett Johansson) and her task force Section 9 thwart cyber criminals and hackers. Now, they must face a new enemy who will stop at nothing to sabotage Hanka Robotics' artificial intelligence technology.

Cast

Production

In 2008, DreamWorks (who was the U.S. theatrical distributor of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence) and Steven Spielberg acquired the rights to produce a live-action film adaptation of the original manga. Avi Arad and Steven Paul were later confirmed as producers, with Jamie Moss to write the screenplay. In October 2009, it was announced that Laeta Kalogridis had replaced Moss as writer. On January 24, 2014, it was reported that Rupert Sanders would direct the film, with a screenplay by William Wheeler. Wheeler worked on the script for approximately a year and a half, later saying, "It's a vast enterprise. I think I was second or third in the mix, and I know there have been at least six or seven writers." Jonathan Herman also worked on the screenplay. Ultimately, credit for the screenplay was given to Moss, Wheeler and Ehren Kruger.

On September 3, 2014, Margot Robbie was in early talks for the lead role. On October 16, it was announced that DreamWorks had made a $10 million offer to Scarlett Johansson for the lead role, after Robbie's talks for the role fell apart when she was cast as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad. This marks the second time that Scarlett Johansson stars in a cyberpunk film after The Island (2005). In May 2015, Paramount Pictures agreed to co-produce and co-finance the film. On November 10, 2015, Pilou Asbæk was cast in the film for the role of Batou. According to TheWrap, Matthias Schoenaerts was circling the role of Batou that went to Asbæk. On November 19, 2015, it was reported that Sam Riley was in early talks to join the film for the villain role as Kuze, the leader of most dangerous criminals and extremists. But, on February 4, 2016, Variety reported that Michael Pitt was in talks for the role. On March 3, 2016, TheWrap reported that Japanese actor Takeshi Kitano had been cast as Daisuke Aramaki, the founder and leader of the elite unit Section 9 tasked with protecting the world from the most dangerous technological threats.

Principal photography on the film began on location in Wellington, New Zealand, on February 1, 2016. In April 2016, the full cast was announced, which included Juliette Binoche, Chin Han, Lasarus Ratuere and Kaori Momoi. In May 2016, Rila Fukushima was cast in a role. Filming wrapped up in New Zealand on June 3, 2016. Filming also took place in the Jordan area of Hong Kong, around Pak Hoi Street and Woosung Street on June 7, 8 and 10 or 14–16.

Casting criticism

The casting of Johansson in the lead role caused accusations of whitewashing. It has been alleged that the filmmakers at one point commissioned the usage of CGI and other visual effects testing to alter Johansson's appearance in order to make her ethnicity appear Asian, spurring further backlash, including an ironic video response from popular YouTube filmmaker Freddie Wong. Paramount has stated the tests were short-lived and did not involve Johansson. Some fans as well as people working in the industry have claimed the controversy is a symptom of a bigger issue, and that modern Hollywood fears casting non-white actors would bring films less of a profit than white actors would bring. Marc Bernardin of Los Angeles Times commented that "the only race Hollywood cares about is the box office race."

In Japan, some fans of the manga were surprised that the casting caused controversy, as many already assumed that a Hollywood production would choose a white actress in the lead role, and they considered that not too much attention should be paid to the physical appearance of the main protagonist because the dominant themes in Ghost in the Shell are the nature of self-identity and how it becomes affected with the use of different cyborg bodies that host human cyber-brains. Sam Yoshiba, director of the international business division at Kodansha's Tokyo headquarters (the company that holds the rights to the series and its characters) said, "Looking at her career so far, I think Scarlett Johansson is well cast. She has the cyberpunk feel. And we never imagined it would be a Japanese actress in the first place... this is a chance for a Japanese property to be seen around the world."

During a launch event in Tokyo, Sanders said of Johansson, "There are very few actresses with 20 years' experience who have the cyberpunk ethic already baked in. I stand by my decision — she's the best actress of her generation". Paramount released a featurette of Mamoru Oshii (director of the original films) visiting the studio, in which he says that Johansson exceeded his expectations for the role. Paul addressed the controversy, referring to the setting of the film as "an international world," stating "There [are] all sorts of people and nationalities in the world in Ghost in the Shell. We're utilizing people from all over the world. There's Japanese in it. There's Chinese in it. There's English in it. There's Americans in it."

Johansson replied to the criticism, stating, "I certainly would never presume to play another race of a person. Diversity is important in Hollywood, and I would never want to feel like I was playing a character that was offensive. Also, having a franchise with a female protagonist driving it is such a rare opportunity. Certainly, I feel the enormous pressure of that—the weight of such a big property on my shoulders."

Pavan Shamdasani of Asia Times said, "The original is about as Asian as things get: Japanese cult manga, ground-breaking anime, Hong Kong-inspired locations, Eastern philosophy-based story. Most of that's been downright ignored with its big-screen adaptation, and Scarlett Johansson's casting as the dark-haired, obviously originally Asian lead sent netizens into a rage."

Release

Ghost in the Shell was originally scheduled by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures for an April 14, 2017, release through their Touchstone Pictures banner. The film was part of DreamWorks' distribution deal with Walt Disney Studios, which began in 2009. In April 2015, Disney moved the film's release date in North America to March 31, 2017, with Paramount Pictures handling international distribution. However, it was reported in September 2015 that DreamWorks and Disney would not renew their distribution deal, which was set to expire in August 2016. In January 2016, Disney dropped the film from its release slate after DreamWorks' distribution deal with Universal Pictures was finalized in December 2015. Disney's distribution rights for the film were transferred completely to Paramount instead of Universal, with Paramount retaining Disney's release date of March 31, 2017.