The first five minutes of Ghost In The Shell has been released.
Since it was announced that Scarlett Johansson will be taking on the role of Major Motoko Kusanagi in a live-action big screen adaptation of the classic Japanese anime, controversy has failed to dwindle.
Lifelong fans of the series are torn – should they be excited that such a genre defining series is being transformed into a Hollywood blockbuster or should they be vehemently angered that such an iconic Japanese heroine has been whitewashed into non-existence?
The film’s producer, Avi Arad, has insisted that the movie stays loyal to the series by “bringing anime to life”. Johansson has fought her corner too, declaring that her role was more about feminism than race. Both responses failed to win over critics.
Nonetheless, Ghost In The Shell is due to make its worldwide debut next week and despite the controversy that will undoubtedly damage its performance, the film may still draw in a crowd due to its promise of an action-packed (OTT) CGI spectacle.
To give us a flavour of what’s to come, Paramount Pictures has released the first five minutes of the film to whet your palette.
Ghost In The Shell hits the big screen on 30 March 2017.
“I guess cyborgs like myself have a tendency to be paranoid about our origins.” – Major Motoko Kusanagi
