It seems like loyal fans of the Masamune Shirow's manga "Ghost in the Shell" are determined to oust Scarlett Johansson from playing the lead role of Motoko Kusanagi.
They feel that Asian actress Rinko Kikuchi should play the role of the cyborg assassin, Major Motoko Kusanagi.
The casting petition to recast the "Avengers" star continues to grow, it has now reached 44, 624 far from its original goal of 14,000 votes.
Deadline previously reported that DreamWorks has offered Scarlett Johansson a hefty sum of $10 million just to take on the role following her successful portrayal of Black Widow in Marvel's "Avengers," Iron Man" and "Captain America" franchises.
However, fans of manga feels like there is white-washing according to Huffington Post, thus a petition to recast Johansson was made in Care2 Petitions, hoping that Masamune Shirow and DreamWorks would reconsider the casting.
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."
An entertainment equality group for actors in Hollywood called Racebending also expressed its disappointment with Scarlett Johansson's casting in "Ghost in the Shell" movie adaptation.
"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," Co-founder Marissa Lee said in her blog post . "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."
While Johansson is not the issue, Ollie Barder of Forbes claimed that she is not going to give justice to the cyborg operative.
"While Johansson is a good actress she's not a good fit for the Major," Barder of Forbes said. "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."
