While there's an ongoing petition to recast Scarlett Johansson in the live action movie adaptation to Masamune Shirow's "Ghost in the Shell" manga, it seems like the film is moving forward.
The "Avengers" star who has reportedly accepted the $10 million offer to play lead star Motoku Kusanagi has offered details on the movie, revealing that production will start early next year.
"It will be shooting the beginning of next year," Johansson told Collider. "So I think we start production January or February and it's me and Rupert [Sanders]; and that's all I know."
While everything is looking bright for the film, frustrated fans have launched a petition to recast Scarlett Johansson and have Japanese actress Rinko Kikuchi (Pacific Rim) to star in "Ghost in the Shell" live action movie instead, Bitch Media reported.
Despite her successful career in action movies, Scarlett Johansson reportedly does not fit the bill for the film.
As per co-founder of Racebending, an entertainment equality group for actors, Marissa Lee, DreamWorks made the wrong decision to cast the "Avengers" star.
"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," she explained.
Meanwhile, Jewish Business News stated that fans are not convinved that a Japanese-based movie will be starred by an American actress.
"The original film is set in Japan, and the major cast members are Japanese. So why would the American remake star a white actress? The 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."
Neither Masamune Shirow nor DreamWorks has yet to offer their explanation about the controversial casting though.
Controversial "Snow White and the Huntsman" director Rupert Sanders is tapped to helm the film with no other cast aside from Scarlett Johansson being named yet.
