The long awaited Ghost In The Shell live action movie is now in the works. Reported in an exclusive via The Wrap, the remake will be directed under Rupert Sanders (Snow White And The Huntsman). "Wolf of Wall Street" actress Margot Robbie is apparently the top contender to play the main character of the live-action adaptation of Ghosat In the Shell, originally a Japanese manga from 1989, created by Masamune Shirow.
Negotiations with Robbie started a few months ago but the talks eventually fell out with the star. Robbie has been confirmed signing onto Warner Bros. DC Film Suicide Squad filling the shoes of The Joker's girlfriend, Harley Quinn. Her co-stars include Tom Hardy, Will Smith, Jai Courtney and Jared Leto, who has been reported taking on the role of the new Joker.
Now, it has been reported that Scarlett Johannson has been offered the role of the pistol wielding cyber soldier for $10 million dollars; not bad considering her success with Marvel as "Black Widow" and more recently with "Lucy". The news of the Hollywood version got negative feedback from hardcore fans of the cult anime for the reason of Dreamworks not considering an asian actress to play the lead role.
The story of Ghost In The Shell follows cyborg Major Motoko Kusanagi and her group of covert operatives called "Section 9" under the Japanese National Public Safety Commission. The counter-terrorist unit specializes in technological warfare against cyber-crime.
Plans for a remake started when Steven Spielberg, an avid fan of Mamoru Oshii's 1995 OVA, bought the film rights for a reboot in 2009. However, the plan fell out and he eventually scrapped the project. The film now is reportedly under Spielberg's Dreamworks and has Avi Arad and Steven Paul on producer duties while William Wheeler has been assigned to pen the script.
Source: Empire, Indie Wire
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