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Live-Action Ghost in the Shell Production Praised by Mamoru Oshii in Video
posted on by Rafael Antonio Pineda
Paramount Pictures began streaming a featurette for the live-action Ghost in the Shell film on Thursday. The video includes a set visit by Mamoru Oshii, the director of the first two Ghost in the Shell anime films, and also shows some behind-the-scenes clips of the filming.
Entertainment Tonight previously streamed a video on Tuesday showing an interview with lead actress Scarlett Johansson, as well as behind-the-scenes footage of a gunfight scene.
DreamWorks and Paramount are co-financing and co-producing the film. Paramount Pictures is the film's new distributor, after DreamWorks ended its distribution deal with Walt Disney Pictures. The film is currently slated for release on March 31, 2017. Principal photography began in Wellington, New Zealand in January.
In addition to Johansson, Pilou Asbæk (Lucy) will play Batou. Michael Pitt (Boardwalk Empire) will play the Laughing Man. Director, comedian, and actor Beat Takeshi (also known as Takeshi Kitano) plays the Public Security Section 9 founder and chief Daisuke Aramaki.
French actress Juliette Binoche (2014's Godzilla, The English Patient, Chocolat) will play Dr. Ouelet, and Kaori Momoi (Sukiyaki Western Django, Memoirs of a Geisha, Helter Skelter) and Rila Fukushima (The Wolverine) will also have roles in the film. The actors for the other Section 9 task force members include: Chin Han (Independence Day: Resurgence), Danusia Samal (Tyrant), Lasarus Ratuere (Terra Nova), Yutaka Izumihara (Unbroken), and Tuwanda Manyimo (The Rover).
Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) signed on to direct the film. 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. Deadline reported last year that Johansson was offered US$10 million for the lead role.
Additional staff members include cinematographer Jess Hall (The Spectacular Now, editor Neil Smith (Snow White and the Huntsman), production designer Jan Roelfs (Fast & Furious 6), and costume designers Kurt Swanson and Bart Mueller (The Hunger Games: Mockingjay).
The anime studio Production I.G pitched the rights for Masamune Shirow's original cyber-police manga on behalf of the manga's publisher Kodansha in 2007, and DreamWorks acquired the live-action film rights in 2008. Ari Arad (Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance), Avi Arad (formerly of Marvel Studios as well as of the Spider-Man and X-Men movie franchises), and Seaside Entertainment's Steven Paul (Ghost Rider: Spirit of Vengeance) are producing. The executive producers include Michael Costigan (Prometheus), Jeffrey Silver (Edge of Tomorrow, 300), Tetsu Fujimura (Tekken), and Production I.G founder and head Mitsuhisa Ishikawa.
Source: Empire (James White)
