First Trailer For Live-Action Ghost In The Shell Film Debuts

Fans of anime and other Japanese entertainment have been anticipating the live-action American adaptation of Ghost in the Shell, the influential manga and animated movie, for some time now. After spending years in Hollywood development hell, the project finally began moving forward this year. It also stirred up some real controversy several months ago, following the casting of Scarlett Johansson as "The Major." But now the first trailer has been released, and we finally get a good look at how it's coming together.

For those unfamiliar, Johansson takes on the role of Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg with a human mind, and also the leader of an elite counter-cyberterrorist force set in Japan's near future. While action and the use of technology play a central part of the story, it also explores philosophical themes like what it means to be human in a world where entire bodies can be replaced with cybernetic prostheses.

The first trailer was revealed at a special live event in Tokyo on Sunday. Fans of the source material will recognize plenty of shots that have been transplanted from the original anime movie, including The Major's backwards free-fall off the top of a building. The use of special effects to create cyborg body parts and the futuristic setting result in some truly stunning visuals.

The controversy over Johansson's casting stemmed from accusations of whitewashing, with the actress playing the lead role in a film filled with asian characters. While the trailer is still packed with plenty of Japanese imagery, Johansson does tend to stick out as the only white character. We'll have to wait until the final release on March 31st, 2017 to see how this plays out in the full movie.

SOURCE YouTube