The anime adaptation Ghost in the Shell has begun filming with the aim of releasing April 14, 2017.
I find it incredibly interesting as a human species that many of us are constantly getting distracted by the race war versus the bigger picture at hand. With all the talk of “white washing” the cast of the upcoming 2017 Ghost in the Shell live film, a majority of people are completely disregarding the fact that this beautiful anime adaptation isn’t getting writers or a director that it deserves. With the amount of Sci-Fi involved, intriguing story line and opportunities for non-stop gorgeous cinematography, this movie needs to be handled with care and not just as a marketing ploy on the infamous title.
What’s confusing to me is that Rupert Sanders who has only Snow White and The Huntsman as a full featured movie on his resume is directing film. And to make matters worse, 2 out of the 3 writers have zero experience writing in Sci-Fi as well. Kudos to Johnathan Herman for writing the screen play for Straight Out of Compton, and Jamie Moss for writing the screen play for Street Kings, but once again we have a production of people completely out of their realm. Yes, Ghost in the Shell definitely has an underlining crime plot involved, but have we forgotten that we are dealing with cyborgs and cyberpunk overtones?
Thankfully we have at least one writer, Masamune Shirow who has been involved with many of the Ghost in The Shell comics, and manga. Otherwise we have only Scarlett Johannsson with the resume of Sci-Fi to compensate in this film. Instead of starting petitions to remove actresses from this film, shouldn’t we be fighting for an overall better film production?
Even if we were to remove Scarlett Johannsson, have we forgotten completely that it takes more than just a cast to make or break a film? Or are we all too busy getting caught up in the pseudo fandom to remember that Ridley Scott’s 1982 Blade Runner was a major inspiration for the Ghost in the Shell series? Or that Ghost in the Shell inspired iconic films such as The Wachowski Brothers’ The Matrix and James Cameron’s Avatar? Do you see a pattern here, or do I need to blatantly scream: THIS FILM DESERVES AN EXPERIENCED SCI-FI DIRECTOR.
It’s no question that CGI will be inevitable but if we have visuals similar to Snow White and The Huntsman I sincerely fear that it’s going to be an utter disaster. The only way the Ghost in the Shell’s team can find redemption is if they do some major homework on how to perfect this particular this futuristic and Asian infused atmosphere.
For starters, they need to take note of the beautiful cinematography from any of Ridley Scott’s work, but primarily Blade Runner. One of my favorite aspects of the 1995’s Ghost in the Shell anime is literally the gorgeous yet intricate scenery in the animation style. This will be a very delicate matter to handle because too much CGI could instantly ruin the feel. Pretty everything in this film needs to be heavily considered when making the upcoming Ghost in the Shell release.
Another fantastic neo-noir film example comes from director Alex Proyas who was responsible for the 1994 cult classic The Crow, but for this article’s purpose the 1998 Dark City.
Or even if were to take a less serious route and look at Luc Besson’s 1998 The Fifth Element. Although the film does not focus primarily on artificial intelligence, we can’t deny its unforgettable set design and futuristic costumes.
In any event, there’s a ton of potential for the Ghost in the Shell live action film. Apart from just the handful of examples listed, there’s truly endless Sci-Fi material out there to properly bounce ideas from as well as considering how the A.I are handled in the Fallout video game series. As a fan of the original 1995 Ghost in the Shell anime as well as steadily building a strong appreciate for 80s/90s cyber punk anime style, we need less talk on who’s acting where and more so who’s directing or writing what so that such classics can land the production they truly deserve.
