Set to hit theaters in just over a month, “Ghost In The Shell” hasn’t quite escaped concerns and criticism that the Hollywood remake of the cult favorite anime is whitewashing the source material. But lead actress Scarlett Johansson recently addressed the issue in Marie Claire, essentially suggesting that her role as the cyborg Major, doesn’t find her playing another ethnicity.
“I certainly would never presume to play another race of a person,” she said. “Diversity is important in Hollywood, and I would never want to feel like I was playing a character that was offensive. Also, having a franchise with a female protagonist driving it is such a rare opportunity. Certainly, I feel the enormous pressure of that — the weight of such a big property on my shoulders.”
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The cast of the film — which includes Pilou Asbaek, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, and Michael Pitt — pulls from all corners of the globe, with Rupert Sanders not just relying on Hollywood names. So perhaps this is the “international” movie the producers have always said it was. Here’s the official synopsis:
Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, “GHOST IN THE SHELL” follows the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic¹s advancements in cyber technology.
“Ghost In The Shell” opens on March 31st.