After the Asian American community and the critics lambasted the official trailer for "Ghost In The Shell," Paramount Pictures is reportedly rethinking its approach to the movie's release. Adapted from the Japanese manga series of the same name written by Masamune Shirow, "Ghost In The Shell" is the first major manga property adapted into film since the failed "Dragonball Evolution" bombed in 2009.
The movie starring Scarlett Johansson poses the ethical and moral question about what will happen when the capacity of artificial intelligence has expanded, the Guardian reported. At first, much of the objection on the movie is based on the casting of Johansson. But after the trailer was released, it has become a big cultural appropriation scandal of its own due to the decidedly Japanese and Asian themes and symbolism in the clip.
"Ghost in the Shell" is not the only movie that is facing whitewashing and cultural appropriation allegations, the Hollywood Reporter reported. According to the article, "Doctor Strange" and Netflix's upcoming adaptation of the manga "Death Note" have also been criticized for casting white actors in Asian roles.
Even before the filming of the movie, "Ghost In The Shell" was already controversial. This was due to the hiring of Rupert Sanders for the directorial job. The "Snow White and the Huntsman" filmmaker was infamous in Hollywood circles for having an affair with Kristen Stewart when she was still in a relationship with "Twilight" co-star Robert Pattinson.
The American film adaptation of "Ghost in the Shell" will be in American and Canadian movie houses on Friday, March 31. It will be engaged in a box office battle with holdovers "Beauty and the Beast," "King Arthur: Legend of the Sword" and "Power Rangers." Yibada English will be posting more updates and spoilers on "Ghost In The Shell" in the coming weeks.
Should Paramount Pictures be worried about having a box office backlash for "Ghost In The Shell" due to the whitewashing controversy? Let us know in the comments. Meanwhile, watch the newly released trailer for "Ghost In The Shell" in the video below.