The film has courted major controversy due to Scarlett Johansson’s casting as the (clearly Japanese) Major Motoko Kusanagi, now only amplified by the first image of the actress in the role.
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The Hollywood Reporter reports that Rila Fukushima, best known to Western audiences for her appearance as Yukio in The Wolverine, or her minor role as Katana on Arrow, has joined the film in an undisclosed role.
The project has come under fire for placing Johansson, a caucasian actress as a character originally envisioned as Japanese.
Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) is directing from a script by Jonathan Herman and Jamie Moss. The addition of another Japanese cast member is certainly welcome, but people will undoubtedly question why Universal didn’t cast Fukushima or another Japanese star in the lead to begin with.
Johansson and Fukushima will co-star with Takeshi Kitano, Pilou Asbæk and Michael Pitt.
Ghost in the Shell is expected to hit theaters on March 31, 2017.
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Ghost in the Shell will adapt Masamune Shirow’s iconic manga of the same name; with Johansson’s Major being a special ops, uniquely fashioned human-cyborg hybrid who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most risky criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology.
