Ghost in the Shell Live Action
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 ]
April 16th, 2008 at 2:51 pm
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
April 16th, 2008 at 8:00 pm
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.
April 16th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
Asian cast please.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:18 pm
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.
April 16th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
Same here…
Michael Bay…
Saw his directing in transformer…
Its action…go go go…
April 16th, 2008 at 11:41 pm
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.
April 16th, 2008 at 11:57 pm
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.
April 17th, 2008 at 5:46 am
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.
April 17th, 2008 at 7:59 am
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).
April 17th, 2008 at 10:29 am
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!
April 18th, 2008 at 5:31 am
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.
April 18th, 2008 at 3:58 pm
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.
April 21st, 2008 at 1:33 am
I’m not holding my breath.
April 21st, 2008 at 2:23 pm
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…>.<
April 23rd, 2008 at 5:13 am
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.