Masamune Shirow's masterwork "Ghost in the Shell" is the latest Japanese anime/manga to be in Hollywood's sights for a film adaptation. The majority of anime-to-film adaptations in the West have been spotty to say the very least, but with "Snow White and the Huntsman's" Rupert Sanders at the helm of the DreamWorks production, it would seem to be headed in the right direction. And, more interestingly, this positive direction seems to be on most solid ground because of whispers as to who is now up for the main role of Motoko Kusanagi, the cyborg heroine of the series.
For some time it was in the wind that "The Wolf of Wall Street's" Margot Robbie was in the running for the lead role of Major Kusanagi, but it seems that David Ayer's production of the DC supervillain flick, "Suicide Squad" wants Robbie at bit more than the "Shell" production does. So, it is now rumored that a $10 million offer has been tendered to none other than Scarlett Johansson ("The Avengers," "Lucy") to star in the film, according to sources at both JoBlo and Coming Soon.net.
"Ghost in the Shell" follows the hunt of the public security agency "Section 9" for a mysterious hacker known as the Puppet Master. With the assistance of her team, Major Kusanagi tracks and finds their suspect, only to be drawn into a complex sequence of political intrigue and a cover-up as to the identity and goals of the Puppet Master.
The overarching philosophical themes of the film include sex/gender identity and self-identity in a technologically advanced world. The anime version of "Ghost in the Shell" was well-received by critics, who praised its visuals, which at the time were the most effective synthesis of traditional cel animation and CG animation.
Johansson's roles as both the Black Widow in Marvel's "Avengers," and her turn in noted action film director Luc Besson's "Lucy" this past summer have upped her credibility as an action starlet to be reckoned with. If anything, "Ghost in the Shell" is the perfect vehicle to light a fire under Marvel Studios' collective butts so that they will greenlight her very own, stand-alone "Black Widow" film...which fanboys around the globe are absolutely dying to see.
There has been no word as to if and/or when she will sign on the dotted line, and it is still technically a rumor, so stay tuned to HNGN for more as it develops. Johansson's next project is a reprisal of her role as Natasha Romanov/Black Widow in "Avengers: Age of Ultron," and that's due to hit theaters on May 1, 2015.
