Dreamworks/Paramount's Ghost In The Shell - Part 1

[Thread Manager]

This is a continuation thread, the old thread is [split]300476[/split]

 

[DorkyFresh]

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/31291

"Anime News Network and Anime Anime report that Production I.G, the studio that produced all of Ghost in the Shell's adaptations into anime (the two movies and the three Stand Alone Complex works) has received permission to develop a Hollywood adaptation of the Masamume Shirow created cyborg sci-fi. A new contract with rights holder Kodansha allows Production I.G. to represent the creators and negotiate distribution of a live action film.
The third Stand Alone Complex anime, Solid State Society, a movie that originally aired on Japanese pay-per-view, will receive its North American premiere at next month's New York Comic Con (February 23-25)."

as long as Bay has nothing to do with it...i say Go For It!!!

 

[Logan0327]

still very much looking forward to this movie

 

[Smilodon]

I dig that they're filming in HK, the Japan of GITS was very much based on HK so it's nice that they're actually there to capture the aesthetics of the anime.

 

[marcvader]

Looking good.

 

[Iron_Stark]

Scarlett looks great in all the pics that have been released. I can't wait for this.

 

[Octoberist]

I'm Asian-American, and I'm of two minds of it.

If Scarlett can sell the movie to the public then so be it, but it would've been nice if the rest of the main cast was more diverse from the get-go. It wasn't until the uproar that they cast the Japanese girl from The Wolverine and that felt like a last minute thing.

Otherwise, it creates The Last Airbender effect if there's the majority of the diversity will depend on the extras. Especially in this case, where they're filming in Shanghai, so it's an odd effect where the white Americans are the heroes. It may (or may not) come off as jarring.

Heck, if he wasn't still recovering from his cancer surgery, was 'go to Japanese actor' Ken Wantanbe even considered for a role?

If the movie's good, then I'm not gonna rag on it. But it feels like the higher ups are still stubborn about certain things. I just read that Kerry Washington was turned down for some roles because she wasn't 'street' enough. What? It's stuff like that shows that Hollywood has a long way to go.

 

[Octoberist]

Also, Battle Angel Alita has a fairly unknown Latina actress as the lead and the movie's budget is probably of the highest that Robert Rod will ever tackle (I think it's 150 million). So there you go.

 

[OutOfBoose]

It's really funny, because Japanese audiences, those, who theoretically should care the most, are fine with the cast.

 

[Loki882]

Probably because they already get tons of movies per year (including anime/manga-inspired ones) that have either all Japanese or at least majority Japanese casts. In the west, on the other hand, that's a rarity.

 

[terry78]

Probably because they already get tons of movies per year (including anime/manga-inspired ones) that have either all Japanese or at least majority Japanese casts. In the west, on the other hand, that's a rarity.

Yeah. Hispanic as well.

 

[2kt09]

That is the case for all the _ollywoods of the world.

 

[terry78]

I think the thing is that a lot of foreign based actors\directors still wanna "break America." Regardless of how much they flourish in their own space.

 

[Loki882]

Yeah, but so few of them are given a real opportunity, which is one of the big problems.

 

[sweetre15]

I mean the main issue that in Japan, they don't have to really deal with the situation because they are the majority in their native country in every aspect.

Where as Asian-Americans who are just as much Americans as any Caucasian, black or otherwise, are not the majority and have to deal with the situation do to working in the American film/entertainment industry.....That's the main disconnect that I think some are overlooking.

Which is why when people say "Well Japan doesn't care so why should anyone else?" I roll my eyes and this is coming from someone that's black.

 

[SuperT]

Which is why when people say "Well Japan doesn't care so why should anyone else?" I roll my eyes and this is coming from someone that's black.

Yea the whole "Japan doesn't care so why should you" line of thinking is incredibly dumb.

Also, the directors comments are pretty telling.

"She has the cyberpunk feel. And we never imagined it would be a Japanese actress in the first place."

They probably never envisioned anyone other then a white actress in the role because, you know, they're the only ones that can act as leads in movies nowadays.

"This is a chance for a Japanese property to be seen around the world."

The only way for a Japanese property to be seen around the world was only by casting a white woman in a Japanese character role? Like, Japanese-American's don't exist?

 

[TimV]

I've been a fan of the original anime since it came out. It had been a while since I watched it so last night I gave it a spin. I honestly don't understand all of the 'whitewashing' complaints because none of the main characters are really drawn to look Asian.

The Major has round eyes, light skin, and a long, thin nose. She is also tall with a slightly athletic build that is also somewhat curvy if you know what I mean. Batou has blonde hair, is well over six feet tall and built like a linebacker. Ishikawa has a square face and a full beard and kind of looks like a lumberjack. Togusa has light hair and round eyes and kind of looks like a surfer dude. The only one that looks sort of Asian is Aramaki. The rest of them are racially ambiguous or mixed race (maybe half Asian) at best.

I can understand that Asian actors are under represented and wanting to give them a chance in general. I actually agree with that. But if you are trying to stay faithful to the original source material, however, I'm just not really seeing it.

 

[Teelie]

I see the fanboys who can't see past their own preconceptions with the movie continue to argue with literally everyone who has any actual authority and say on the matter saying those people are wrong because the casting does not stand up to their fantasy casting.

So, business as usual.

 

[Loki882]

Her name is Motoko Kusanagi, that's a Japanese name through and through. And lots of anime characters have physical features like that, but it doesn't mean that live-action films needs to default to casting White people. And the large problem is that, we've gotten like one actual Japanese actress cast thus far. And while I love me some Rila Fukushima, who knows how big a role she's actually going to have.

 

[Logan0327]

Yea the whole "Japan doesn't care so why should you" line of thinking is incredibly dumb.

Also, the directors comments are pretty telling.



They probably never envisioned anyone other then a white actresses in the role because, you know, they're the only ones that can act as leads in movies nowadays.



The only way for a Japanese property to be seen around the world was only by casting a white woman in a Japanese character role? Like, Japanese-American's don't exist?

the director didn't say those lines that all came from ghost in the shell publisher Sam Yoshiba

 

[Pink Ranger]

Okay, before I post here, I am Asian, and I actually don't mind ScarJo playing Major Kusanagi, as long as they don't do stupid **** like give her fake slanty eyebrows to make her look more Asian. That stated, I'm going to respond to some things here:

It's really funny, because Japanese audiences, those, who theoretically should care the most, are fine with the cast.

You show an audience from Uganda a movie with Al Jolson tapdancing in blackface, and likely they won't have a problem with it. That's not an argument.

 

[TimV]

Her name is Motoko Kusanagi, that's a Japanese name through and through.

Agreed. But I don't really think it matters. My wife is Asian but has western first and last names. One of the Software Engineers where I work is Black. His first and last name are definitely Hispanic. I have another Asian friend who also has Hispanic first and last names. I have a white friend who has an Arabic name. I could go on, but again, I don't think it really matters.

 

[Pink Ranger]

Agreed. But I don't really think it matters. My wife is Asian but has western first and last names. One of the Software Engineers where I work is Black. His first and last name are definitely Hispanic. I have another Asian friend who also has Hispanic first and last names. I have a white friend who has an Arabic name. I could go on, but again, I don't think it really matters.

My real name is LaTroy Javier Hiroyoshi Mohammed Timothy Epstein-Chung.

 

[SuperT]

I've been a fan of the original anime since it came out. It had been a while since I watched it so last night I gave it a spin. I honestly don't understand all of the 'whitewashing' complaints because none of the main characters are really drawn to look Asian.

The Major has round eyes, light skin, and a long, thin nose. She is also tall with a slightly athletic build that is also somewhat curvy if you know what I mean. Batou has blonde hair, is well over six feet tall and built like a linebacker. Ishikawa has a square face and a full beard and kind of looks like a lumberjack. Togusa has light hair and round eyes and kind of looks like a surfer dude. The only one that looks sort of Asian is Aramaki. The rest of them are racially ambiguous or mixed race (maybe half Asian) at best.

I can understand that Asian actors are under represented and wanting to give them a chance in general. I actually agree with that. But if you are trying to stay faithful to the original source material, however, I'm just not really seeing it.

The issue with this is that Japanese anime creators and anime readers in general do not see these characters as white - they are Japanese. Here's a great article that explains it and another from Kotaku few years back.

 

[Zant]

my real name is latroy javier hiroyoshi mohammed timothy epstein-chung.

loooooooool