Roy Focker Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 This is a big budget Hollywood movie right? Scarlett Johansson is not Japanese or even Asian. She's a blonde Jewish girl from back East. She is also a big name known actress who has already appeared in several big budget Hollywood block buster movies. There might be a ton of actresses who will look the part and act it more truthfully but they don't have the star power that gets big budgets approved by the investors. Quote
Knight26 Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Well look at it this way, if it is good and ScarJo decides to skip on the next one, they can always say that she got a new body and find and actress that can play a more faithful Kusanagi. Also, GitS has a fair number of nude scenes, and aside from some poorly lit shots in Under the Skin, this should give everyone a nice look at her goods, LOL Quote
UN Spacy Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 Could've been worse and they cast Milla Jovovich or Kristin Stewart. Quote
JetJockey Posted January 5, 2015 Posted January 5, 2015 I'll add my thoughts to the Net on this topic. I wish they actually tried to cast Motoko. I don't think they really did. It seems like they thought the "artistic" choice was Margot Robbie since I think she did nudity in that Wolf of Wall Street movie. I haven't seen it. After that was the safe choice of Scarlett. Not that I'm not a fan of Scarlett. I think Avengers and Captain America 2 made her an action star. I haven't seen Lucy yet but want to. And even though Motoko of the original Ghost in the Shell is a lot more Westernized compared to Stand Alone Complex and the original manga versions. It would have been nice to see perhaps an Asian or Eurasian up for the role.I don't even know why they call this "casting" because it's not. What it is, is choose the most suitable person to make a probable profitable movie. This feels like Star Trek into Darkness casting or what that Sony exec was talking about in those leaked emails about the Angelina Jolie Cleopatra male lead casting. Just cast a known name and be done with it. For the mass audience all they need is known names and explosions it seems these days. I wish most people that are against this sort of thing just didn't say they were against it and see the movie anyway. If they didn't go to the theater then this sort of thing wouldn't happen. Whatever they do can't really damage Ghost in the Shell that much. I have my Mondo print and I got a Muji pencil case over the holiday. I put a temporary image of Motoko from SAC on it. The image at the end of the credits with her back turned. I'm deciding on images for the full case. What does worry me is that the Major won't be called Motoko Kusanagi, and that the story will be over-westernized. Did they confirm that? I think she has to have some name to reference her original self. I'm sure someone in the original doesn't call her Major all the time. That's the point though. Casting a non-asian is the first part of a long line of "compromises" that will pull it further from the source material. I mean, remember Spielberg produced the Transformers movie and distributed by Dreamworks. I can't wait to see what the tachis are going to look like. I really don't like the look of the Transformers. They are modern but they look like junk. I'm worried now that the Tachikoma will be the evolution of a modern tank. The first similarity that came to my mind with these choices for lead and director was Charlize Theron and her terrible Aeon Flux movie via MTV- that was a piece of garbage. I thought the same. I still haven't seen the movie either and I like Charlize Theron. But I don't think she was that good back then. Quote
SchizophrenicMC Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 While I agree that Scarlet Johansson was cast because of star power, I'm also still not convinced you have to have asians playing cyborgs. The whole point of Ghost in the Shell is, that's not the body she was born in, it's the body she chose for herself. It's an exploration into "what is humanity" and the enforcement of laws surrounding that question, protecting people who are affected by it. So I'm totally not bothered by a white woman being cast in the role of a character that doesn't have any racial identifying bodily traits, because her body is a robot. What bothers me is the meatier concerns about the movie. The director is a cheap-to-hire no-name whose only credits are junk, the studio is known for cash cowing as a rule, and the main character's actress was cast solely for star power to sell tickets. There's no way the story will be written as an adaptation of Ghost in the Shell, there's no way it'll be directed as anything but an action thriller with some terms from Ghost in the Shell thrown in to describe things that aren't exactly what they were in the original, and there's no way the actors will have the familiarity with their characters necessary to play them at all in-character. This movie isn't being made out of a legitimate interest in showing an artist's perspective on a popular and evocative story, it's being made by a studio who wants a quick buck, with a team assigned to it. I'm willing to guarantee this movie ends up among the ranks of Dragonball Evolution and The Last Airbender, because of that. Quote
Marzan Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 The choice of director and main actress has already got me feeling underwhelmed. Hollywood has a poor, poor record with anime adaptations and I fear this one will be no differently. Any word on if Masamune Shirow has a role as an advisor to the film? Quote
Keith Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 I was fine with Scarjo playing Tetsuo in Akira ķzee what I did there?), and I'm fine with this too. Quote
JetJockey Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 I realized the perfect Motoko last night and she almost already played her. Rhona Mitra. Her character was a "Major" in the movie Doomsday. And she had a hairstyle that was similar to Motoko. She's far closer to Motoko physically than Scarlett as well. Although she's older and Hollywood looks at everything as a potential sequel property now. I know many will say Doomsday was a flop. I think it was good but that's just me. Still I bet her salary isn't 10 Million. I would be surprised if it's 1/4 of Scarlett's fee. They can use the money saved on effects, a better director, writer, and marketing. While I agree that Scarlet Johansson was cast because of star power, I'm also still not convinced you have to have asians playing cyborgs. The whole point of Ghost in the Shell is, that's not the body she was born in, it's the body she chose for herself. It's an exploration into "what is humanity" and the enforcement of laws surrounding that question, protecting people who are affected by it. So I'm totally not bothered by a white woman being cast in the role of a character that doesn't have any racial identifying bodily traits, because her body is a robot. What bothers me is the meatier concerns about the movie. The director is a cheap-to-hire no-name whose only credits are junk, the studio is known for cash cowing as a rule, and the main character's actress was cast solely for star power to sell tickets. There's no way the story will be written as an adaptation of Ghost in the Shell, there's no way it'll be directed as anything but an action thriller with some terms from Ghost in the Shell thrown in to describe things that aren't exactly what they were in the original, and there's no way the actors will have the familiarity with their characters necessary to play them at all in-character. This movie isn't being made out of a legitimate interest in showing an artist's perspective on a popular and evocative story, it's being made by a studio who wants a quick buck, with a team assigned to it. I'm willing to guarantee this movie ends up among the ranks of Dragonball Evolution and The Last Airbender, because of that. But Motoko is a character from a Japanese anime. Even if her character in the original movie is more Westerized, why go the easy route? I would bet that most people when they think of a real Motoko don't think of Scarlett. Also, why not try to make something really good. Scarlett is a good actress. But I believe her first try at action in Iron Man 2 wasn't that believable. The jump happened in Avengers and Captain America 2. I bet she's good in Avengers 2 as well. But perhaps this is down to directors too. And that's where I agree. The director and people on the movie have little to get me excited about the project. It's almost Terminator Salvation all over again. At best, Scarlett might be able to put on a reasonable performance around a garbage script and storyline. The choice of director and main actress has already got me feeling underwhelmed. Hollywood has a poor, poor record with anime adaptations and I fear this one will be no differently. Any word on if Masamune Shirow has a role as an advisor to the film? I think Speed Racer is the best Hollywood version of an anime. But that was a flop so I guess the suits won't go that route. The Matrix trilogy too but when that became more anime with the sequels people started disliking those as well. Perhaps live action anime won't work and it needs to be Americanized. Quote
Keith Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 Oh hell no, Scarlette everyday of the week. Quote
SchizophrenicMC Posted January 6, 2015 Posted January 6, 2015 But Motoko is a character from a Japanese anime. Even if her character in the original movie is more Westerized, why go the easy route? I would bet that most people when they think of a real Motoko don't think of Scarlett. Also, why not try to make something really good. Scarlett is a good actress. But I believe her first try at action in Iron Man 2 wasn't that believable. The jump happened in Avengers and Captain America 2. I bet she's good in Avengers 2 as well. But perhaps this is down to directors too. And that's where I agree. The director and people on the movie have little to get me excited about the project. It's almost Terminator Salvation all over again. At best, Scarlett might be able to put on a reasonable performance around a garbage script and storyline. I think Speed Racer is the best Hollywood version of an anime. But that was a flop so I guess the suits won't go that route. The Matrix trilogy too but when that became more anime with the sequels people started disliking those as well. Perhaps live action anime won't work and it needs to be Americanized. Of course, I also don't think of any Japanese person when I think of Major Kusanagi. She doesn't act Japanese, she acts like The Major, and she doesn't look Japanese because her body's a robot, so why should she be portrayed as a Japanese-looking-and-acting person by a Japanese actor? I could see it for some of the charatcers, especially extras, because this is a story set in Japan. But in the case of Motoko Kusanagi, casting a Japanese actor would be token, and would be just as mis-cast as ScarJo. It's kind of the same thing in English-voice localization. Should we only have Japanese voice actors, because only they can speak English with a perfect Japanese accent and sound like Japanese people? Or can we overlook that, because good casting of capable voice actors leads to a performance that is believable and communicative of all the same kinds of feelings, in English? I agree that the Speed Racer movie has been maybe the best anime adaptation by Hollywood thus far, which is really a bit funny if you think about it. But then, Speed Racer worked for a fairly-low-budget kids movie. The premise, the characters, the setting, and ultimately the portrayal all work. Emile Hirsch as Speed Racer (who is really the Japanese national, Go Mifune, in the original Mach GoGoGo!) was actually really good. And John Goodman as Pops (Daisuke) was perfect. The characters of Speed Racer were all technically Japanese, but that didn't matter in the English adaptation, or in the film. The story was intact between the Japanese and American distributions of the anime (even if America wasn't ready for a show with Japanese names) and the overall idea of the story was transferred to the movie very well. Of course, Speed Racer/Mach GoGoGo! isn't a very serious story, and it doesn't make for a movie with the kind of presence, budget, or cultural impact as Ghost in the Shell does. And maybe that's why Speed Racer, unlike DB Evolution and The Last Airbender, can be considered a good adaptation. The other two were fairly serious stories, that got butchered and made too self-serious by Hollywood production teams with no familiarity with the source material. With Speed Racer, it didn't matter what they did with the story in the first place, because it was never serious enough or expected to be a big blockbuster. Ghost in the Shell, though, is a very complex and serious story, that surrounds some very serious and complex questions and ethical dilemmas. It's not an action thriller like Speed Racer, and it's not even a 3-act epic like Avatar: The Last Airbender (which really begs the question of how they were able to screw that one up), but something much harder to pin down into a concise story without being intimately familiar with the original, and without having some really good skills as any member of the team involved in a movie. Rupert Sanders, Scalet Johansson, or anybody else though, I don't think Hollywood has anybody in its midst that could pull this one off. I think they could hire Steve Spielberg and pick any Japanese actress, and it'd still miss the point and it'd still have everyone who likes Ghost in the Shell unhappy. So I don't really care that they got ScarJo on the cast. That'll just make it all the more painful for the studio, when the budget goes up to accommodate her, and when she fails to have enough star power to make it good. Quote
M'Kyuun Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Shame they didn't hire the Waschowskis to direct this. Of all the directors in Hollywood, they are probably the most familiar with the source material, and have proven experience copying anime style action. They, or James Cameron, would have been my picks for director(s). I also think Scarlett was chosen to put a big name on the marquee to Band-Aid an otherwise loose and soulless adaptation. It'll make a decent opening, but once the reviews start, it'll die a quick death in theatres, followed by a quick release to DVD with a lot of extras that nobody cares about. Hollywood is like a dumb kid who pisses on an electric fence again and again. It hurts, but they don't learn from their mistakes. Quote
aerocombatpilot Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Oh hell no, Scarlette everyday of the week. do we get to see Scarlet's booty? If so, I'm in! no pun intended! Quote
EXO Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 do we get to see Scarlet's booty? If so, I'm in! no pun intended! Just watch Under The Skin. Quote
Keith Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 do we get to see Scarlet's booty? If so, I'm in! no pun intended! :::High Five::: Quote
JB0 Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 While I agree that Scarlet Johansson was cast because of star power, I'm also still not convinced you have to have asians playing cyborgs. The whole point of Ghost in the Shell is, that's not the body she was born in, it's the body she chose for herself.In the Major's case, it's probably not even her "real" name. At least in the comics. Which is not to say that I'm looking forward to the movie, but, well... I've already had my heart broken with this franchise before. Another bad movie won't be the end of the world. Quote
Chronocidal Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 Given the background shown in "Arise," I'm not sure she even has a real name, but I don't know if that story fits the original continuity. Personally, I just hope this movie doesn't wind up so bad that it turns people away from the original too. Though, there is that glimmer of hope that at some point Hollywood will make so many bad anime adaptations that they stop trying. Quote
blackconvoy_D01 Posted January 7, 2015 Posted January 7, 2015 I realized the perfect Motoko last night and she almost already played her. Rhona Mitra. Rhona Mitra Doomsday.jpg Her character was a "Major" in the movie Doomsday. And she had a hairstyle that was similar to Motoko. She's far closer to Motoko physically than Scarlett as well. Although she's older and Hollywood looks at everything as a potential sequel property now. I know many will say Doomsday was a flop. I think it was good but that's just me. Still I bet her salary isn't 10 Million. I would be surprised if it's 1/4 of Scarlett's fee. They can use the money saved on effects, a better director, writer, and marketing. Did I mention Rooney Mara?... rooney-mara-cover-story-01_153245359716.jpg Yes and yes! I like them both for the The Major. Rooney could do an Arise sort of younger version while Rhona could do a SAC version depending on what way the writer wants to go. WTF Hollywood? You ruin everything lately! Quote
JB0 Posted January 8, 2015 Posted January 8, 2015 Given the background shown in "Arise," I'm not sure she even has a real name, but I don't know if that story fits the original continuity.Pretty much anything could be slotted in for comic backstory. It's not an issue that ever comes up.Though, there is that glimmer of hope that at some point Hollywood will make so many bad anime adaptations that they stop trying. Amen. Quote
McFly!! Posted January 8, 2015 Posted January 8, 2015 Will it be like Aeon Flux? *shudders* I hope it's not like the dragonball 'adaptation' either... Quote
renegadeleader1 Posted January 8, 2015 Posted January 8, 2015 (edited) To be fair to the Aeon Flux movie, its not like they had much source material to work with outside "spy skank in bondage wear finds new and stupider ways to die, get others killed, or fail miserably each episode". Edited January 8, 2015 by renegadeleader1 Quote
JetJockey Posted January 8, 2015 Posted January 8, 2015 Did I mention Rooney Mara?... rooney-mara-cover-story-01_153245359716.jpg I would take her over Scarlett for Motoko. She seems to be the method actor type. At least from the little I saw of Dragon Tattoo. I want to watch the original trilogy first. Of course, I also don't think of any Japanese person when I think of Major Kusanagi. She doesn't act Japanese, she acts like The Major, and she doesn't look Japanese because her body's a robot, so why should she be portrayed as a Japanese-looking-and-acting person by a Japanese actor? I could see it for some of the charatcers, especially extras, because this is a story set in Japan. But in the case of Motoko Kusanagi, casting a Japanese actor would be token, and would be just as mis-cast as ScarJo. When I think of Motoko for live action I just think real anime look. That's more Asian or something "exotic" whatever that means today. Many Japanese, Korean, and other actresses look more anime than Scarlett. Especially with the way plastic surgery is going in South Korea. But I checked out some clips from Lucy and I see why the easy connection was made. I watched an escape shooting scene and a scene where she seems to see electronic telecommunications. Add in the Captain America 2 action sequences and you have an easy choice. Any other actress would have to audition well for the part and it doesn't look like the people in charge want to do that. I read an article last night linked from the Ghost in the Shell reddit page that the original animated movie only cost 5 million dollars. Funny that they are paying Scarlett 10 Million alone. Also some people around the Net talking that the movie won't even be set in Japan and other changes. Basically this will be Ghost in the Shell in name only. Shame they didn't hire the Waschowskis to direct this. Of all the directors in Hollywood, they are probably the most familiar with the source material, and have proven experience copying anime style action. They, or James Cameron, would have been my picks for director(s). Those are the only ones who could honestly pull it off. Ridley Scott after the problems with Prometheus I wouldn't trust. He really shouldn't be making a Blade Runner 2 either. Rinko Kikuchi Another good choice that many in forums are pointing out. But this movie looks to be a product now. Not a creative choice. All the excuses of the financial choice are really odd if this is a favorite of Steven Spielberg. Why can't he produce this himself? It's George Lucas all over again. Although I wouldn't want him to direct either as A.I. and Minority Report weren't that great. To be fair to the Aeon Flux movie, its not like they had much source material to work with outside "spy skank in bondage wear finds new and stupider ways to die, get others killed, or fail miserably each episode". I always thought Aeon Flux had a bit of Twilight Zone about it. I never saw the whole series but it was a strange dark cartoon that felt more like old sci-fi cartoons, movies, or serials. Quote
SchizophrenicMC Posted January 8, 2015 Posted January 8, 2015 When has Hollywood ever set a film based on Japanese pop culture in Japan, portrayed Japanese themes, or told a Japanese story? They can't even get an American cartoon's adaptations right. Quote
Black Valkyrie Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 I hope they cancel the project HA HA HA HA HA HA HA ! Quote
JB0 Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 I hope we're all pleasantly surprised at how awesome it is when it comes out. ... Hey, I didn't say it was likely. Quote
McFly!! Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 Just watch Under The Skin. good one, EXO! that was more than a little disappointing for me Quote
Chronocidal Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 Honestly, when Scarjo was first brought up, my mind flashed back to the fight scenes in Lucy, and thought, "Huh.. yeah, she can definitely pull off the emotionless cyborg thing." Not that the Major was emotionless, but she definitely hid them. Whether that alone would result in a good movie, I can't say. But I think she'll at least be able to act the part. Quote
electric indigo Posted January 9, 2015 Posted January 9, 2015 I remembered the infamous "well, it was better than Twilight" category from the "worst SciFi" thread, then I imagined the studio thinking that if you need a robotic actor, get Kristen Steward... I would take her over Scarlett for Motoko. She seems to be the method actor type. At least from the little I saw of Dragon Tattoo. I want to watch the original trilogy first. Watch the first movie of the original trilogy, then jump straight to Fincher's version. The other two films are not as bad as the books, but only for Noomi Rapace, and they feel much like made for TV. Quote
JetJockey Posted January 10, 2015 Posted January 10, 2015 I checked the director's previous Halo commericals. This kind of feels like Tron Legacy again. That guy did a Halo commerical too. Ghost in the Shell might end up looking good. But on a deeper level be empty. When has Hollywood ever set a film based on Japanese pop culture in Japan, portrayed Japanese themes, or told a Japanese story? They can't even get an American cartoon's adaptations right. Not that I can remember. But if one deserves to be set in Japan or some futuristic Asian city Ghost in the Shell is it. Watch the first movie of the original trilogy, then jump straight to Fincher's version. The other two films are not as bad as the books, but only for Noomi Rapace, and they feel much like made for TV. The Dragoon Tattoo books are bad? Quote
electric indigo Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 The Dragoon Tattoo books are bad? 2nd & 3rd book, yes, IMO. See here. Quote
Graham Posted January 13, 2015 Posted January 13, 2015 ScarJo was obviously chosen for the following reasons: 1) She's a star at the moment, thus a hot property. 2) She's experienced playing a similar secret agent/action character (Black Widow in the Marvel movies). 3) She's got big tits, same as Major Kusanagi. Nuff said! Graham Quote
aerocombatpilot Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 ScarJo was obviously chosen for the following reasons: 1) She's a star at the moment, thus a hot property. 2) She's experienced playing a similar secret agent/action character (Black Widow in the Marvel movies). 3) She's got big tits, same as Major Kusanagi. Nuff said! Graham Don't forget that booty!!! Quote
electric indigo Posted January 14, 2015 Posted January 14, 2015 http://herocomplex.latimes.com/movies/ghost-in-the-shell-scarlett-johansson-casting-a-blow-to-diversity/ Although Kusanagi is a cyborg, as well as a character originating from manga, anime historian Charles Solomon explains that “to Japanese viewers, Major Kusanagi is Japanese because she acts like a Japanese person.” Quote
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.