Scarlett Johansson has signed up to star in the upcoming live-action adaptation of “Ghost in the Shell.” The “Lucy” actress will star in Dream Works’ version of the hugely popular Japanese anime series, reports Variety.
Unlike her avenging role as Black Widow, Major Motoko Kusanagi is -- at least in the comics and anime -- the leader of a crack counter-terrorism unit focussing on cyber crime. Set in a future where cybernetic implants, prosthetic enhancements, and robot workers are common, there’s a bit more action to deal with than countering DDoS attacks. Rupert Sanders is currently in line to direct the adaptation, while Avi Arad and Steven Paul will produce from a script by Bill Wheeler. “Ghost in the Shell” was originally published as a seinen manga series, written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow.
It was later published as its own tankobon volumes by Kodansha, before a movie was released in 1995. A TV series titled Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex was released in 2002, while the “Ghost in the Shell: Arise” film series began in 2013.
