As we reported recently, despite the fact that Disney droppedGhost in the Shellfrom itsrelease schedule, fear not — Paramount and Universal arestill distributingthe DreamWorks film, and today, we’ve learned that it has finally started production in Wellington, New Zealand. The film starsScarlett Johanssonas Major, a special ops leader who also happens to be a unique human-cyborg hybrid, and is being directed byRupert Sanders(Snow White and the Huntsman). Paramount also released the first image for the film, which you can see below (click for the full size).
Last month, we also learned thatMichael Pitt(Boardwalk Empire, and the first Mason Verger on NBC’sHannibal) is set to play the movie’s antagonist, a villainous hacker namedKuze, a.k.a.Laughing Man, who is also part robot. Laughing Man is a character pulled from the 2000s anime seriesGhost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, rather than the manga, which featured a charactered called Puppeteer / Puppet Master. As our own Dave Trumboreexplainedat the time:
While the decision not to include the Puppeteer/Puppet Master is a little disappointing considering the rich thematic material that particular villain brought to the story, Laughing Man might actually be an easier sell for today’s audiences. This isn’t your typical bad guy, just like Kusanagi’s Public Security Section 9 aren’t your typical good guys. The Laughing Man is an anti-corporate terrorist and social media-savvy super-hacker who is able to mask his identity by both real-time manipulation of video feeds and cybernetic brains. His trademark logo – which, along with his moniker, was inspired byJ.D. Salinger’s“TheCatcher in the Rye” – masks his face. His part to play is certainly an interesting on in the series, and one that Pitt could do quite well with, as long as he doesn’t mind hiding behind a smiley face logo the whole movie a laV for Vendetta.
The movie also starsBeat Takeshi Kitanoas Daisuke Aramaki,Juliette Binocheas Dr. Ouelet,Pilou Asbækas Batou, as well asKaori Momoi. The members of Section 9 are played byChin Han,Danusia Samal,Lasarus Ratuere,Yutaka Izumihara, andTuwanda Manyimo.
Ghost in the Shellwill premiere in the U.S. March 31st, 2017. Here’s the official synopsis:
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.
