After years of rumors, halting half-starts, and teaser videos, it’s almost hard to believe that Paramount Pictures live-action Ghost in the Shell, adapted from the ground-breaking anime and manga of the same name, is actually going to start playing in theaters next month.
There’s been plenty of controversy about the casting and plot, but something else jumps out at me in the latest preview.
As someone who’s been an anime fan for a long, long time, the possible tonal shift doesn’t really bother me.
So far, the live-action Ghost in the Shell has pointedly refrained from using the name Motoko Kusanagi, unwaveringly referring to Johansson’s character as just “The Major,” the rank held by Kusanagi in the source material.