Paramount Pictures just released a new behind-the-scenes featurette for Scarlett Johansson's upcoming movie "Ghost in the Shell". The featurette is the first look for fans who are waiting to get a glimpse of Johansson in action.
"This experience has been like nothing else I ever had before," Johansson said in the video, describing her role as the enigmatic cyborg cop, Major Motoko Kusanagi.
This statement should excite many fans as the 31-year-old actress, a regular in the action-packed Marvel Universe films as the character Black Widow, praises director Sanders for his "visionary" ideas in bringing the live adaption of the classic Japanese manga and anime to life.
The development of "Ghost in the Shell" film has not been without controversy. When the casting of Scarlett Johansson as the lead character was announced, the studio faced a backlash against the "whitewashing" of Asian characters from fans and critics alike.
The studio has since defended their initial choice with Scarjo but Screen Crush reported that Paramount Pictures had actually attempted to use CGI to make the actress appear "more Asian" in the film in response to the backlash. The studio denied resorting to post-production in order "to shift her ethnicity" but insiders claimed that the visual effects tests had been done but ultimately rejected.
With the featurette released, it is plain to see that Johansson will be playing Kusanagi without any CGI enhancements.
The video even features Mamoru Oshii, the director of the Japanese animated film adaptations of "Ghost in the Shell", who has nothing but praises for ScarJo's performance. Oshii claims that the actress' portrayal of Kusanagi "has gone beyond [his] expectations" and even admits that the film "will be the most gorgeous film in the series" even compared to his own.
If these words do not get fans pumped up, the official trailer of the film will be released this weekend soon. Are you excited to watch the film? Did the "white-washing" controversy bothered you? Watch the featurette below and let us know in the comments.
