Ghost in the Shell dropped in 1995, and it was the first anime to be simultaneously released in Japan, Britain, and the U.S. The producers wanted to introduce anime to mainstream audiences worldwide, however, the film didn’t achieve that goal, and only became a cult hit on video. For those who never read the long-running comics, the first film installment focused on and introduced audiences to the “Puppet Master” storyline from the original manga (comic). Despite failing in the mainstream, a sequel managed to come forth in 2004. The second film was called Innocence, also known as Ghost in the Shell 2, and it did well at the box office, earning over $300,000 on its opening weekend. The sequel is based on a chapter from Man-Machine Interface, which is volume 2 of the comic series.
Now, after a solid 10 years since the release of Innocence, it seems that a live-action film is moving forward. Dreamworks acquired the rights in 2008 to produce an adaptation of the original manga with Steven Spielberg. According to various reports, a director has been found, it appears that Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) will be at the helm of the project from a script written by William Wheeler. Avi Arad and Steven Paul have previously been confirmed to produce Ghost in the Shell.
There’s no word yet on casting since this project is in its early stages, but once those details are announced, we’ll keep you guys informed.
Stay tuned for more to come on Yell! Magazine.
About Ghost in the Shell
2029 – A female cybernetic government agent, Major Motoko Kusanagi, and the Internal Bureau of Investigations are hot on the trail of “The Puppet Master,” a mysterious and threatening computer virus capable of infiltrating human hosts. Together, with her fellow agents from Section 9, they embark on a high-tech race against time to capture the omnipresent entity. Ghost in the Shell took the world by storm, exhibiting a new dimension of anime with unprecedented, mesmerizing cinematic expression. Seamlessly merging traditional cel animation with the latest computer graphic imagery, this stunning sci-fi spectacle challenged the boundaries of mainstream animation with detailed artistic expression and a uniquely intelligent story line.
