Ghost in the Shell Debut Trailer

Paramount Pictures has just released our first substantial look at its upcoming live action adaptation of Masamune Shirow’s classic series. Lots of folks are uncomfortable with having Scarlett Johansson play Major Motoko Kusanagi instead of a Japanese actor, but I can also understand that the decision to cast ScarJo made the movie easier to both shoot and sell to the public. Besides, do robots even have nationalities?

The trailer itself is very exciting and makes me optimistic about the film. I am hoping that the great Takeshi Kitano wouldn’t tarnish his reputation by being involving himself in a project that would ruin an untouchable Japanese artwork such as Ghost in the Shell. The movie was directed by Rupert Sanders, whose notable work is… Snow White and the Huntsman. That said, the screenplay was co-written by Jonathan Herman, who also penned Straight Outta Compton. So there’s that.

I just hope they didn’t try to cram in an entire story arc into the film. If it has to be another origin story, so be it.