There’s been controversy over the ‘westernisation’ of the Ghost in the Shell remake. But a famous Japanese talent has now joined the production… Takeshi ‘Beat’ Kitano…
There’s been a considerable amount of controversy regarding the upcoming live-action version of classic anime Ghost in the Shell. It’s taken a long time to start production and was originally thought to be of interest to the likes of James Cameron (as far back as 1995) and Steven Spielberg around 2008 – before eventually landing, rather unexpectedly with the far less prolific Rupert Sanders (probably best known for one singular action movie, the rather generic Snow White and the Huntsman).
Besides the directing choice, one of the controversies is the topical-issue of casting western actors in eastern roles. The Dreamworks production has already announced that Scarlett Johansson will play the main character, cyborg cop Major Motoko Kusanagi and Michael Pitt will be the main villain ‘The Laughing Man’. Game of Thrones star Pilou Asbæk (who also appeared with Johansson in Lucy) is set for Batou, Kusanagi’s second-in-command. (Rumours persist that Sam Riley, originally in line for that villain role could still be involved). The early casting news got a very mixed reaction to the extent that there were actual petitions for the central characters to remain Asian and truer to the classic source material. Though the argument for colour-blind casting, recently cited in the run up to the Oscars, works both ways and Johansson is an obvious box-office draw familiar with action roles, it did seem like an obvious missed opportunity to raise the profile of Asian performers in what is considered one of the most key examples of manga/anime known to western audiences.
Now comes official confirmation that at least one very familiar eastern face will also be involved – and a name equally familiar from his controversial behind-the-camera work. Takeshi ‘Beat’ Kitano (whose own directing work includes Violent Cop, Boiling Point, Kikujiro, Brother and Outrage) has joined the production in an acting role. He will play the role of Daisuke Aramaki, chief of Public Security Section 9, the organisation for which Johannson’s cop works. Kitano already has over sixty acting roles to his name – most recently While the Women are Sleeping, just released in Japan in February – so it will be flexing a familiar muscle, though this will be his first ‘Hollywood’ movie since his appearance in Johnny Mnemonic in the mid-90s.
Ghost in the Shell remains on target for a 31st March 2017 release.
