Steven Spielberg says he likes Ghost in the Shell, therefore DreamWorks shall make live action Ghost in the Shell movie. First we have Dragonball, Akira and now this. I guess Marvel is officially running out of franchises to turn into movies.
Universal and Sony Pictures were apparently after the license too, but Steven’s star power bagged it for DreamWorks. Avi Arad (former CEO of Marvel Studios), Ari Arad and Steven Paul are producing the movie and Jamie Moss is in-charge of screenplay. I’m guessing Spielberg counts the money.
While Yahoo! News is eager to point out Avi Arad’s involvement in X-men, Spiderman and Fantastic Four, (which I guess are considered good movies by modern standards) I find it an ominous sign that all three producers worked on Ghost Rider together, because that was one of the worst Marvel movie adaptations I have ever watched.
[ Source: Yahoo! News ]
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS
I intended to crack an Uwe Boll joke but nevermind.
And I demand Michael Bay.
Most of my friends seem to be worried about the quality of the film given the track record of American adaptations of such things in general, but it seems good to me that something like GITS is getting this much attention at all. It’s a much more worthy franchise than DBZ (which of course means there’s more to horribly mangle, but oh well.)
EDIT: Man, do all first-time posters get this horrible winged pants-blob thing? I may have to sign up if it’s gonna be like that permanently…
The avatars are random and each assignment lasts only as long as the page’s cache.
As for the movie, I guess it all boils down to how much Spielberg really likes GitS and how much money gets invested in it. I think Ghost Rider probably blew its entire budget paying for Nicolas Cage.
Why do I have a bad feeling about this…
Anyway, I’m a big fan of Ghost In The Shell (particularly SAC) and happy that there will be more of it.
They better do it SAC style. I wonder who will be cast.
Aw fuck. I want to say it’s going to turn out terrible, but I’ll reserve judgment until the trailer rolls around… three years from now.
This can either be really awesome or a total train wreck. I guess we’ll just have to see.
I love GitS, but considering how aweful most adaptations of this sort are I’m not going to hold my breath. But hey who knows, America might pull out a miracle and do one right for a change (fat chance).
Dragon ball live action ?? first time heard it; it is gonna be very strange movie.
The story of GitS is actually quite good and can be adapted to a good movie. GitS is a different genre than other thats been adapted. It is more realistic and no superhero, supernature, and other fantasy stuff. I wonder who is gonna be Mokoto.
You know, I hear this and suddenly think ‘Great… now Motoko’ll be making out with Batou halfway through the movie, as the Uchikomas start duelling some horribly-CGI’d robots while Togusa gets no role in the movie whatsoever and Aramaki’s played by Christopher Walken.
I just hope that this doesn’t become yet another Ultraviolet.
I can’t see how they would be able to make a decent Hollywood movie out of GITS without screwing it up badly considering 1/2 the movie is dialogue about metaphysical existence.
@Haesslich
You make it sound like the inclusion of Christopher Walken in anything can somehow possibly make something worse, when in fact he can only positively influence things with his presence.
I want japanese actors/actresses for this film…
It would be weird for an American person to portray some of the Japanese characters…I have a feeling they’re going to mess this movie up with just thriller-action and stuff…
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Pardon me, but a Live Action adaption of any manga/anime with Hollywood’s non-Asian cast is never going to live up to the same standards.
That said, pls Dreamworks don’t destroy this wonderful series =X
Actually I’d be happy with something like The Matrix, which was based off Ghost in the Shell.
The political (American Empire?) and metaphysical stuff just ain’t gonna happen with Hollywood at the wheel.
Asian cast please.
I have a bad feeling about Dragonball Z. About GITS, I already like it as it is. In my opinion, it would be better to adapt non-3d anime since these anime are almost like live action already.
Speaking of Matrix being based on GITS, I thought GITS was the original, until I learned about Blade Runner.
And you’re right, America is the villain in GITS and it may be unlikely for Hollywood to “demonize” it’s own country.
Same here…
Michael Bay…
Saw his directing in transformer…
Its action…go go go…
ya I also have a bad feeling about this…
I hope that they actually try to pull off an artistic film here, rather than just making some sort of family friendly sucky movie like that last spiderman.
I would be glad if there would be a Hollywood adaptation of Death Note, even if there’s already a Japanese live action adaptation of it. It would be interesting to know who would play the characters, even if they’re not Japanese or Asian. Besides, a great story is universal. If a story is a classic, it doesn’t matter what place, time, or even how the characters look like (But of course, fans would want to see deserving Raito/Light, L and Misa actors).
The film “The Departed” was based on “Infernal Affairs” which is a Hong Kong live action film. The Departed was successful both critically and commercially. If they’re going to make any anime adaptation, I hope it’s something that is worth an award and recognition. Dragonball Z in the Oscars? Of course it’s not likely.
I’ve come to enjoy this blog since I found it about five months ago and mostly I’ve simply lurked around, but I couldn’t restrain myself from jumping in on this discussion.
I shudder to think what this movie will be like if it ever sees the light of day. To begin with, I do not think any Hollywood actress is up to the task of playing Major Kusanagi and if there is one she’ll be passed up for some younger actress who will completely misinterpret the character. It will probably be someone from some television show.
I agree that an Asian cast would be nice, but the only two regular Asian actress’ I can think of (Lucy Liu and Devon Aoki *gag*) do not fit the part. Cast whoever you want as anyone else, but if the Major is ruined than the movie will fall flat on its face. I won’t even begin to say how they could Matrix the plot and that would also kill the show.
I don’t think any of them would take the reference material seriously. This will probably wind up in the same boat as that Metal Gear movie. It’ll be directed under the influence of American cinema. They shouldn’t be focusing on this. If anything, I’d like another season of GITS : SAC that’s a prequel with a mixed in continuation of the former series. I believe the show could amass a total of four seasons before getting stale. But I’m very partial to a prequel.
Now it’s possible it’ll be good and I will go see it, but I still think that making this series into a movie will be a waste of time. Maybe I’m too much of a die hard fan to appreciate this type of thing.
Forgive my exuberant disagreement and harsh nonsensical ramblings dealing with this show being made into a live action movie. I unfortunately hold GITS in high regard.
Eh: Well, I can’t see him as Aramaki. One of the mininsters, perhaps, or a villain… but not as Aramaki, who just doesn’t fit his usual acting style.
I still don’t see this going well – they’ll take anything good out of the movie (the ‘thinky’ parts, in other words) and replace it with mindless half-hearted romances which don’t fit the Major’s personality and also shove in a lot more mindless action while ignoring the interplay between characters (especially between Togusa and Batou, or Batou and the Major).
adapted from my comments on the riuva blog….
“Yeah.. but i think that america is not worthy of GITS..I just don’t like the arrogance and pretentious nonsense that americans start to demonstrate when something like GITS comes along. They will give no credit to the Japanese creators, they will act as if things like GITS never existed, that’s of course until someone in the west does it. This nauseating hubris sickens me to no end!! When matrix came out, they praised the Wachowski brothers as geniuses of insight and philosophical depth. Anime has been doing Cyber punk, phenomenological technology perspectivism, and metaphysical introspection since the 80’s!! But to people in the west nothing has significance unless a westerner does it. yuck!!”
I’m sadden that these great anime’s will now be ruined by western pilfering minds.
I am G-man!
Hollywood will ruin it. It is going to become a “ripoff” of the Matrix, Blade Runner and Tron. New and interesting concepts will be subdued in favour of typical movie clichés.
I will have to agree with most of the comments that this film might be a disaster simply because it requires some brain power to enjoy this show. Seeing how most movies produce by Hollywood are well, to be nice “simple” and this show just isn’t, especially if they make the adaptation from the first movie and don’t even think about the second movie, that gave me a headache because it completely confused me at one part. Yeah, also that the US is seen as the bad guys, that in itself will hint that Hollywood is gonna do something to screw it up. BUT, yeah but, they can pull a miracle and do a good adaptation of GITS as long as they go back to the basics of making a good film and not the Hollywood trash now-a-days. Sorry for the Hollywood bash but I’m disappointed with the degraded movies in the recent years, I miss the good old movies when they actually had a plot and if they didn’t, they are pure entertainment. The Dragon Ball movie, I will say it now, it is a FAIL before it hits the theaters. The only way it will do well if it gets me to want to go outside, scream my lungs out to “power-up” so I can look for an epic fight haha.
I’m not holding my breath.
what? there’s a dragonball live action????never heard of it…@_@……that’s unexpected….^-^*….hehehe….i hope the adaptation is good…..since gits is a superb anime!!!!!….but still…*sigh*…i don’t think i can count on it…>.<
The Major is so cool, she can only exist in the anime-universe. Any real life person who tries to play her will (mark my words) fall flat and look ugly like the woman who tried to play Ayane in DOA.
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Americanisation spoils everything. Dragonball is supposed to be funny. God save Anime… sigh…
Ah well, there’s always the chance they might pull something good off. You never know.
Oh god – Major is going to look hideous – please, no more Angelina Jolie-like actresses
Those HORRIBLE adaptations should be banned. Jesus H. Christ, I am still trying to recover from that absurd Street Fighter movie with J.C Van Damme. And to make matters worse… there is news that Hollywood will try to make a NINJA SCROLL movie. Yes. THAT ninja scroll. `^_*
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Got a really bad feeling about this one. Is Shirow Masamune even going to be involved? I get the feeling that it’s going to be Americanized to the extreme… like having Paris Hilton play the Major ><
Mary Elizabeth McGlynn, Richard Epcar, and William Knight must be pressed into service to play Motoko, Batou, and Aramaki! It just wouldn’t work with anyone else’s voices coming out of those character’s mouths. With just marginal makeup effects, they each already look like their GitS counterparts. Just look them up on http://tvrage.com/
The other parts can be played by almost anybody.
Ethan Hawk as Togusa.
Jet Li as Saito.
Michael Chiklis as Borma.
Robert Patrick as Pazu.
Ryan Gosling as Ishikawa, because I like his beard.
I’m sorry but no. Hell no. For starters, GiTS is set in Japan with characters who have prosthetic bodies that resemble people of Japanese descent. But that’s Hollywood for you. It’s just like the upcoming DBZ movie, where they’re casting a white American to play the role of Goku. Anyone who knows the series knows that Goku is supposed to be of “Asian” descent. Oh let me guess, because he’s an alien from another planet, he doesn’t have to be Asian. Hmmmm…heroic character from another planet, who does that sound like!? Let’s be honest people, Goku is an Asian character from another planet much like Superman is a so called “white” character from another planet. Truly, if they feel Goku can be played by a “white” actor simply because he’s an alien, then the same can be said about an Asian actor playing Superman.
I’m reminded of another upcoming movie based off a video game franchise: Prince of Persia: The Sands of Time. The Persian Prince is being played by Jake Gyllenhal, an actor who, if any, has no Middle Eastern ancestry. What’s more is that his love interest in the movie Farrah(they changed her name), an Indian(Hindu) princess, is being played by a European actress. I’m sorry but that’s a huge insult to the actors out there who are of Middle Easter/Indian descent who are fluent in English.
NooooooOOoooOOOooOOOoo
3 of my favorite animations being made into an AMERICAN interpretation. NOOOooooOoooo. Why does hollywood have to leave their pen0r in everything!
no one on earth could play the well known sector 7 members without as one man so elequenly put it screwing the pooch on this one any one expecting a good movie will be sadly disappointed plus the screen writters chops have yet to be seen even with spielberg at the helm im affraid this ones going rms lusitania on us
NOOOOOOOOOOOO!
I just can’t believe it. I mean, I am actually for a live action GITS film. I am for it being 3D. I even think it is totally fine that it will be a Hollywood movie (in reality, you need huge $$$$ to achieve the kind of production value needed for this kind of film, which is really only possible in Hollywood). But Speilberg? Jamie Moss? Ari Arad!? Ghost in the shell is fundamentally NOT a Marvel comic kind of work. You do not get comic book guys to do this movie. Fundamentally it has always been about unforgiving technoerotica, with any protaganist being completely antiheroic. Aescetically it should touch on filme noir. I don’t understand. Wouldn’t Ridley Scott love to do this? Curtis Hanson? Hell, I would even take John Wu. At any rate, what is wrong with Kenji Kamiyama? It’s good that they didn’t tap Oshii (it wouldn’t work at all) but Kamiyama had been living and breathing this for half a decade! And there is a well sampled American demographic that subscribes to his work.
Anyway, basically I have lots of my own ideas about this, and I see a lot of potential for a total disaster. I do hope very much, however, that despite all evidence to the contrary, this team that has been formed pulls it off. I volunteer for the focus group!
I DO NOT WANT TO SEE HOLLYWOOD DO THIS TO JAPANESE ANIME!!
Spielberg only has one movie that gives him the experience to work with this famous anime, and that was Minority Report. But Minority Report is a far cry away from Ghost in the Shell’s complexity. Furthermore, Jamie Moss only has one screenwriting credit to his name, which proved to be the worst screenplay of that year in films.
To tackle a powerhouse like Ghost takes a lot of experience. Ghost has 3 theatrical films, 3 manga series, a TV series spin-off that went on for 2 seasons (and was ended at the high of its popularity, and 2 or 3 videogames.
Akira is the same. As it is that have moved the setting for the film to Neo- Manhattan. I don’t know much about this production, but what I do here about is that they want Leo DeCap in it, and the director only has one film credit under his belt, and it wasn’t even a neo-futurist film either. That one is sure to disappoint. I will likely not even bother.
But the one film that I have total faith in is James Cameron’s Battle Angel. James has the Terminator series under his belt as well as the first season of Dark Angel. These are the perfect ingredients to bring Battle Angel to life. Furthermore James is actually working hand in hand with the original creator of Battle Angel to bring this to life. Not to mention of few outside of Hollywood consulting projects that James has done involving foreign film companies.
I swear to god if I see freakin Jessica Biel or some other such Californian meat head with nice abs cast as Kusanagi I am going to go to the set and vomit on the director.
Why does America have to get their crude little paws on everything good from Japan and desecrate it with their inability to understand complexity and nuance by reinventing it into some hollywood blockbuster piece of shyte?
Nothing good can come from this – the latest example of horror – Dragonball Z. God save Anime
I am a huge fan of GitS and would love to see a live action movie if its done right… If they screw up Major theres no way the movie will succeed. And as for the cast being all asian doesnt really matter the characters are mostly cyborg and can choose their prosthetics and whatever they want to look like. Also there better not be any super main stream hollywood actors, they just wouldnt be able to get deep enough to play the style and demeanor of the characters from gits. My suggestions would be:
Major- Holly Vance – Christie from DOA
Chief- Dustin Hoffman – I think he could handle the seriousness
Batou- Chris Jericho – yes hes from wwe but he was an actor first
Togusa- Marc Paul Gosselaar or Paul Rudd
Ishikawa- Becinio de Torro – imagine a beard and the voice
I was thinking Keanu for Pazu but i dont want to reference the matrix haha ^_^
Gotta disagree with some of those casting decisions. You are going for look, not acting chops. And all the fans gotta stop drawing on TV talent. There’s a huge discrepancy between looking good on tv for 40 minutes while constantly being interrupted by commercials, and being believable and compelling for two hours when your face is 60 feet across.
Major: Holly Valance is only 25 y.o. – way too young. Major is battle hardened, experienced, and so much more than the sexpot that is Holly Valance. Need someone more like Sigourney Weaver circa 1986, with bigger boobs. I’m terrified to admit it, but I think this might actually be right for Angelina Jolie. No, I’m not kidding.
Batou: Maybe Mickey Rourke, if he can stop smirking and mumbling for 100 minutes (which we all know is possible)
Togusa: Adrian Brody
Ishikawa: Ron Perlman, though del Torro is intriguing choice
Chief Aramaki: Danny DeVito if he can lose the Brooklyn accent and 50 lbs.
One thing I’m not sure of, does a 2-hour movie have time for Paz, Saito and Borma? I’m not so sure…
This just cannot be a good thing if true. It would be a hard sell to a market that just isn’t familiar with “Ghost.” And the existing fan base is going to be very pissed off losing “The Laughing Man” premise when the storyline and characters have been dumbed-down to a 2 hour rehash of “Blade Runnerish” rumblings. I’ll pass.
@G-man
You are absolutely right. You forgot to add that Japanese have way more imagination and creativity than everyone else. If they’re going to make a movie, creators of The Matrix should do it.
Mickey Rourke as Batou – that could work. :)