"Ghost in the Shell" is probably the quintessential cyberpunk anime classic and much hype has been surrounding the possibility of it getting a Hollywood adaptation. This adaptation was first announced about five years ago, but there wasn’t much movement on the project until Rupert Sanders (Snow White at the Huntsman) signed on to direct last year. Ghost in the Shell still doesn’t have a green light, but now that Johansson is on board, looks like the green light will be lit pretty soon.
"Ghost in the Shell" is originally a manga (Japanese comic book) by Masamune Shirow which was first adapted in 1995 into an anime movie which became a sci-fi classic. The story follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a woman with a cyborg body who retains a human soul, who is tasked to hunt a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master. With the assistance of her team, Kusanagi tracks and finds their suspect, only to be drawn into a complex sequence of political intrigue and a cover-up as to the identity and goals of the Puppet Master.
The overarching philosophical themes of the film include sex/gender identity and self-identity in a technologically advanced world. Ghost in the Shell was highly praised for its visuals, which at the time were the most effective synthesis of traditional cel animation and CG animation. It has served as inspiration for filmmakers such as The Wachowskis.
Initially, actress Margot Robbie was considered for the lead role in the film, but Johansson seems like a more obvious pick due to her ability to draw in tickets at the box office. Avi Arad and Steven Paul are producing Ghost in the Shell with Mark Saurian serving as executive producer.
Personally, this feels like we're getting that "Black Widow" stand-alone spin-off in the form of this movie, since "Ghost in the Shell" has some pretty heavy action and cyber-espionage elements in it, with a female lead that delivers some pretty hardcore action.
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