Following announcement that "Avengers" star Scarlett Johansson has been officially cast to play the role of Motoko Kusanagi, in Masamune Shirow's "Ghost in the Shell" live action movie adaptation, loyal supporters of the manga started an uproar.
The casting which has been accused of white-washing according to Huffington Post has forced the manga fans to create a petition to recast the Hollywood actress.
Fans gathered signatures in Care2 Petitions, where they asked DreamWorks Studios to retain the "Ghost in the Shell" authenticity.
The petition reads:
"Dear DreamWorks Studios,
As moviegoers and fans of the original 1995 Ghost in the Shell film, we respectfully request that you cast an actor of Asian descent for the lead role of Motoko Kusanagi rather than Scarlett Johansson.
The American film industry is already unfriendly to Asian actors without roles in major films being changed to exclude them. One recent survey found that in 2013, Asian characters made up only 4.4% of speaking roles in top-grossing Hollywood films.
Please use this opportunity to help talented Asian-American actors receive recognition for their work. There are so few opportunities for them to shine in Hollywood, and this film would be a perfect platform."
While the petition for Masamune Shirow's "Ghost in the Shell" casting was originally intended to reach 14,000 signatures, it has now reached over 43,000 votes and counting.
While it has not been stated that Scarlett Johansson is a bad actress, the petition is claiming that an Asian actress like Rinko Kikuchi would better fit the bill.
The co-founder of Racebending, an entertainment equality group for actors, Marissa Lee explained in her blog post why DreamWorks has made the wrong decision in casting Johansson in the film.
"Ultimately, 'Ghost in the Shell' is a story about what makes us human. Having access to powerful media representation is key for minorities to be seen as human. As a successful white actress, Scarlett Johansson has been privileged to play powerful women characters in action films. 'Ghost in the Shell' was a chance for an actress of Asian descent to have that same opportunity."
"Avengers" star Scarlett Johansson reportedly will not be able to give justice to the lead cyborg operative despite her previous movies featuring her fighting skills.
"While Johansson is a good actress she's not a good fit for the Major," Ollie Barder of Forbes said in his article. "Especially as her action prowess in 'Lucy' is being touted as the reasoning behind the decision to cast her. While there is action in Ghost in the Shell, it's very often decisive and not the focus of the narrative. The Major is a very complex and difficult character and just slapping an action film on top of that sounds like all kinds of wrong."
