Forum - View topicINTEREST: Live-Action Ghost in the Shell Producer Speaks About Casting Controversy
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nubguy
Posts: 51 |
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Yeah, I don't really buy that reason. They changed it to "an international world" so that they could get around being accused of white washing. They just wanted to use a big Hollywood actress that would bring in a lot of money, and movie goers who aren't anime fans of anime will be drawn in by her star power. It is typical Hollywood antics, changing the source material to better make a profit instead of actually caring about a piece of work and trying to faithfully adapt it. I do not have high expectations for this film.
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SaitoHajime101
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I've said this to many and I will say it again, it's not white-washing in this case. If anyone who knows the story of The Major knows that she struggles through out the franchise with self-identity and remembering who she is. She lost her human body when she was very young and has since had multiple types of android bodies as replacements.
It isn't surprising, considering her background and current job, that she would inhabit a more western body for undercover work or for general international work as a law enforcer. It has happened on occasion that Section 9 would work with international agencies to take down criminals, so it wouldn't surprise me that the Major would don a western body to easily blend in with western society. While from the Hollywood standpoint, I do agree the studio is cash grabbing with casting one of the most popular actresses in Hollywood at this point, but I think any studio would get blamed of doing this due to the actress involved. Last edited by SaitoHajime101 on Fri Jul 01, 2016 1:14 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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Shay Guy
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None of this is really germane, though. The question isn't whether it can be made to make sense in-story. It's not about Masamune's world, it's about ours. Asian Americans are way underrepresented in Hollywood. And if they can't get a lead role in a movie based on a Japanese story about Japanese people, when can they? That's what it's about. |
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omegaproxy
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2017 March 31 can't come soon enough. Never been so excited about a live action film.
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Mikasa_su_casa
Posts: 120 |
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Ghost in the Shell has international appeal but section 9 is a Japanese police agency.
It says pretty clearly in the original movie intro that nations and ethnicities have not been obliterated yet. 2nd Gig involved international politics, such as Japan's relationship to the US, as a major part of the plot. Steven Paul's comments sounds to me like they're trying to make this setting some kind of post-national world with section 9 some kind of UN world police. I guess it's too much to hope for that this movie would be written with some kind of respect for what has come before. |
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jirg1901
Posts: 150 |
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Except none of this self-justifying head-canon is the case. The character is being made western because they don't think "Motoko Kusanagi" the Japanese character matters, just the general idea of the Major. It's a pretty bizarre general statement considering large portions of Ghost in the Shell focus heavily on Japanese politics and regional geopolitics. |
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Remington Steele
Posts: 63 |
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So this movie is pretty much going to be Dragon Ball Evolution and they are hoping movie ticket sell cause the name "Ghost in the shell" instead of making a movie based on the actual anime/source material. I for one hope this movie fails as bad as Dragon Ball Evolution. Unless they cast an actual Japanese actress to portray the main character, it's not worth seeing.
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Azumi14
Posts: 58 |
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All producer Steven Paul cares about is money. The film will be greatly more accepted by the audience by using a white girl compare to an asian girl in the US. In the US theaters this movie will get push as an action film. I work with a lot of people and none of them know ghost in the shell. It all about profit. Steven Paul has no ties to anime or manga so why should he care. I guess that around 60 percent of the audiences will think he was the creator of the idea behind Ghost in the shell. US audience; mostly are clueless that they are watching an Asian remade. It will be the same with Death Note US remake.
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SaitoHajime101
Posts: 283 |
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That's not true at all. People are questioning the movie on the merits that the Major is an asian character but the actress isn't. At this point Masamune's world is being questioned. Nubguy himself had this to say:
He, himself, is questioning the world that was built in the story. Whether it was done intentionally or not, no one will know except for the script writer and the higher ups at the studio. The fact that Masamune Shirow himself is supporting this movie has to mean something at least.
Yet that's funny considering the person casted to be the Major's mother is Japanese... Clearly it has nothing to do with the name mattering or not. I think the producer was just being an idiot when he mentioned the name being a changed. Last edited by SaitoHajime101 on Fri Jul 01, 2016 1:10 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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nubguy
Posts: 51 |
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You are missing the point. Regardless of whether or not the original creator supports it is irrelevant. The fact is, this was a Japanese character in Japan and they could have easily cast a Japanese actress, but instead they cast someone who is popular and well known. The movie’s producers even considered making the film’s white lead look more Asian via CG special effects. That is borderline racist okay. It occurs so much these days that it is really just stupid at this point. You say it doesn't matter but it really does. Does anyone remember Prince of Persia? Not really, and there's a good reason for that.
Last edited by nubguy on Fri Jul 01, 2016 3:07 pm; edited 3 times in total |
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FenixFiesta
Posts: 2581 |
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Except this Ghost in the Shell is a Hollywood adaptation which at best will be "ok" but realistically it will probably be as poorly acted and scripted as the Warcraft film, I will be surprised if proven otherwise. |
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Kougeru
 Posts: 5527 |
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Someone involved in the film actually said in a previous interview that that they basically needed a "big name" to sell tickets. So he's kinda changing his story here....[Was gonna post a source but I can't seem to find it after 10 minutes of goolging]. Also, there's apparently reports the Director has been hitting on Scarlett so I wouldn't be surprised if his attraction to her was a reason for casting her...he has a bad history with flirting with his cast.
so...they just admitted to changing the basic GITS premise huh? Well, this is gonna be a disaster, as expected. "I don't think anybody's going to be disappointed." Haha, you're wrong. Completely wrong. And just because the Creator's have been supportive of the film, doesn't mean it's a good idea. Here's a quote that basically explains the Japanese point of view: “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." - Sam Yoshiba, director of international business for Kodansha They're just happy that "Japanese property" is being shown. Though, I doubt most people will know it's Japanese since they seem to be removing almost everything Japanese about it. This is gonna be a disaster and I legitly hope it tanks so they learn their lesson. |
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SaitoHajime101
Posts: 283 |
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Okay, so we hold Hollywood to a standard, yet when Japan creates Attack on Titan live-action that takes place in a Western-based society with everything possible referencing European culture, they cast no "Western" actors or actresses? So much hypocrisy. Granted two wrongs don't make a right, however the uproar over the Ghost in the Shell movie being white-washed, but little to no uproar over Attack on Titan's all Japanese cast is amusing to say the least. I'm sure it's all due to the popularity of the main actress and the fact that Hollywood movies are more well known. Once again, you are discrediting the story itself and the fact it deals with android bodies which can be molded and shaped to be anything one wants it to be. If I were to get an android body and have my mind and soul put into it, I could ask to have it Japanese-looking. Would that make me Japanese? Not on the inside, but outwardly I would look Japanese.
The original creator supporting a project means something, because it does influence, for some people, whether to see a certain film or not. Let me ask this question: If a movie has a Slovakian character but the casted actor is American with no Slovakian ancestry at all, would that be considered white-washing even though they are of the same skin color? I think a look at the wording being used to describe discrimination against other ethnic groups should be reviewed... however that might be a bit off-topic 
It was specified that the CG editing was for concept photography. Granted that could just be a coverup, however there's no evidence to say either way. By taking everything anyone ever says blindly, negatively or positively, is narrowing the view on the BIG picture. 
Last edited by SaitoHajime101 on Fri Jul 01, 2016 1:37 pm; edited 2 times in total |
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Azumi14
Posts: 58 |
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I do think the original creator manga creator Masamune Shirow and Kodansha would not of pick Scarlett Johansson. This is a big for original creator manga creator Masamune Shirow and Kodansha to have Ghost in the Shell turn into a movie in the US. I know they are happy because many more doors may open for them. Did original creator manga creator Masamune Shirow and Kodansha even have a say in the matter. I am not racists but to going white instead of Asian is a racist move on this movie. This is only my opinion.
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CrowLia
 Posts: 5505 Location: Mexico |
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The difference between white-washing and Japan-washing is that Hollywood has no shortage of Asian-American actors they could cast and that have numerous times spoken about how difficult it is for them because the industry is so racist. Japan doesn't have a pool of Caucasian-Japanese actors that are being left without a job.
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