Cast member Scarlett Johansson poses at the premiere of "Avengers: Age of Ultron" at Dolby theatre in Hollywood, California April 13, 2015. The movie opens in the U.S. on May 1. (Photo : REUTERS/Mario Anzuoni)
"Ghost in the Shell" producer assured fans that they will not be disappointed with the "international approach" of "Ghost in the Shell." When the movie was first teased early last year, it gained mixed reactions from fans, with majority saying the production "whitewashed" the original Japanese anime because of a different approach it employed.
Now that teasers featuring Scarlett Johansson were already released, producer Steven Paul gave an assurance that fans will not be disappointed with the movie's "international approach," Buzz Feed reported. He also said that followers will have a change of heart once they see it on the big screen.
Paul also noted how they brought honor to the manga, adding they paid great respect to it and also included different nationalities in the roster of cast. Aside from Americans, nationalities of some actors are Japanese, Chinese and British. The producer also confirmed to introduce new elements based on some imagination, explaining they needed to bring their own in the film.
The movie was first announced in 2015, the announcement already gained a lot of backlash from followers. Fans were angry with Paramount and DreamWorks Pictures that the movie adaptation casts "white" people contrary to what the manga is portraying. According to Screen Crush, producers also tested CGI technology in order to edit the skin complexion of casts to make it appear like Asian.
The technology of tweaking actors and actresses' appearance to make them look younger and thinner is called "beauty work." According to the same report, Lola VFX is the company that conducted tests for "Ghost in the Shell," the same company who conducted visual effects for Brad Pitt's age shifting in "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button."
Despite the rumors, Paramount Pictures denied the allegations and said in their statement that the effects were only done for a particular scene which was ultimately discarded afterwards. Up to this moment, some are still calling out production for not casting an ethnic-appropriate actress for the role of Major Kusanagi.
"Ghost in the Shell" is directed by Rupert Sanders and includes Michael Pitt, Juliette Binoche, Takeshi Kitano, Rila Fukushima, Kaori Momoi, Pilou Asbaek and Yutaka Izumihara as actors. Watch the film's promotional video below.
