Earlier this year, Paramount and DreamWorks Pictures dropped the first look at Scarlett Johansson in the manga/anime adaptation of “Ghost In The Shell,” and the internet collectively lost its shit. Coming of the wake of #OscarsSoWhite and increasing calls for diversity in casting, the decision to have Johansson (the highest grossing actress of all time) in the lead of what many saw as a remake of a distinctly Japanese story, came under harsh scrutiny. But producer Steven Paul, has come to the defence of the movie.
In an interview with Buzzfeed, Paul says the source material is broader in scope, going beyond Japanese borders with the story taking place in “an international world,” and that the ensemble pulled together for the film, directed by Rupert Sanders (“Snow White And The Huntsman“), reflects that.
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“I don’t think it was just a Japanese story. ‘Ghost In The Shell’ was a very international story, and it wasn’t just focused on Japanese; it was supposed to be an entire world,” he explained. “That’s why I say the international approach is, I think, the right approach to it.”
“There [are] all sorts of people and nationalities in the world in ‘Ghost In The Shell,’ ” he added. “We’re utilizing people from all over the world. … There’s Japanese in it. There’s Chinese in it. There’s English in it. There’s Americans in it.”
To his point, the cast does include Pilou Asbaek, Michael Pitt, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Kaori Momoi, and Chin Han among the players, but Paul’s comment will likely to little to quiet the voices of those who feel a Japanese actress would’ve been the better choice the lead role. And while Paul seems to be courting further controversy with a planned remake of “Lone Wolf And Cub: The Final Conflict” — another movie based on a beloved manga — he says in that scenario, he’ll be leaning towards a Japanese cast.
“My initial instinct is that [the cast] will be primarily Japanese because they’re samurai, and the whole story is very, very Japanese in the sense of what they are,” he noted.
Whether or not Paul’s comments will quiet the controversy remains to be seen, and we’ll see how audiences respond both at home and abroad when “Ghost In The Shell” opens on March 31, 2017. [via io9]