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Live-Action Ghost in the Shell Film Featurette Introduces Section 9

Paramount Pictures began streaming a featurette introducing Section 9 from the upcoming live-action Ghost in the Shell film on Wednesday. The video features director Rupert Sanders and actors Scarlett Johansson and Pilou Asbæk discussing some of the characters in Section 9.

Paramount also streamed two new spots for the film on Tuesday, and a 15-second ad for tickets on Wednesday. The "Anything" spot focuses on cyber enhancements that appear in the film, while the "Her Power" spot focuses on the Major's physical abilities.

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 slated for release on March 31. Principal photography began in Wellington, New Zealand in January 2016.

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 will open in Japan on April 7. The film's Japanese dub will feature Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Ohtsuka, and Kouichi Yamadera reprising their roles as the Major, Batou, and Togusa, respectively.

Scarlett Johansson stars in the film as the Major, and Pilou Asbæk (Lucy) plays Batou. Michael Pitt (Boardwalk Empire) plays 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) plays Dr. Ouelet, and Kaori Momoi (Sukiyaki Western Django, Memoirs of a Geisha, Helter Skelter) and Rila 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.

Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) is directing 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.

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).