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Live-Action Ghost in the Shell's Cast Discusses Film at World Premiere

The world premiere of Paramount Pictures' live-action Ghost in the Shell film was held in Tokyo on Thursday. The staff and cast of the film also appeared at a live-streaming press conference at The Ritz-Carlton, Tokyo.

Scarlett Johansson, who stars as the Major, was the first cast member to speak at the press conference. She said:

It's wonderful to be here. This film was a labor of love for all of us, and it's a property that's beloved by all of you. And it feels very fitting and deeply touching to bring this film here for the world premiere. I hope you all enjoy the film and are as passionate about it as we were making it.

Director, comedian, and actor Beat Takeshi (also known as Takeshi Kitano), who plays the Public Security Section 9 founder and chief Daisuke Aramaki, said, "Appearing in a real Hollywood film with a big budget was a very good experience for me. Scarlett taught me how to behave when working as an actor. We made a wonderful film." He also mentioned his poor English ability, which was one factor that led him to decide to speak Japanese in the film.

After Johansson and Kitano spoke, director Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) and cast members Pilou Asbæk, Juliette Binoche, Kaori Momoi, Rila Fukushima, Yutaka Izumihara, Kaori Yamamoto shared their thoughts. The film's official Facebook page posted the below video that features their comments.

Dozens of Ghost in the Shell cosplayers also appeared at the event. The below video shows the cosplayers and the cast's interactions with the press.

In the film, Asbæk (Lucy) plays Batou. Michael Pitt (Boardwalk Empire) plays the Laughing Man. French actress Binoche (2014's Godzilla, The English Patient, Chocolat) plays Dr. Ouelet, and Momoi (Sukiyaki Western Django, Memoirs of a Geisha, Helter Skelter) and Fukushima (The Wolverine) also have roles in the film. The actors for the other Section 9 task force members are as follows: Lasarus Ratuere (Terra Nova) as Ishikawa, Tawanda Manyimo (The Rover) as Borma, Yutaka Izumihara (Unbroken) as Saito, Danusia Samal (Tyrant) as Ladriya, and Chin Han (Independence Day: Resurgence) as Togusa.

Jonathan Herman (Straight Outta Compton) reworked the earlier drafts of the script written by William Wheeler (Hoax, The Reluctant Fundamentalist) and Jamie Moss (Street Kings). Weta Workshop and its co-founder Richard Taylor are working on the film.

The film will open in the United States on March 31, followed by Japan on April 7. The film's Japanese title is "Ghost in the Shell" in the phonetic katakana alphabet, instead of the "Kōkaku Kidōtai" title in kanji (攻殻機動隊) that is the Japanese title of the other works in the franchise in Japan. The film's Japanese dub will feature Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Ohtsuka, and Kouichi Yamadera reprising their roles as the Major, Batou, and Togusa, respectively.

Source: Comic Natalie