It appears that this live-action remake of Ghost in the Shell keeps chugging along, with none other than Scarlett Johansson now reportedly first in line to star as cyborg cop Major Motoko Kusanagi.
Scarlett Johansson Offered Ghost in the Shell!
It was previously reported that Margot Robbie was in talks to star in DreamWorks' adaptation of the manga/anime classic, but she's now apparently out of the running. According to Deadline, the role has been offered to Scarlett Johansson, who was last seen killing a lot of Asian dudes -- with her mind! -- in Lucy.
Greeeaaaat.
Based on the manga by Masamune Shirow, Ghost in the Shell follows a Japanese public security agency's hunt for a mysterious hacker. Produced by Avi Arad, Steven Paul and Mark Sourian, with a script by William Wheeler, the remake will be directed by Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders.
Robbie is now reportedly being looked at for Warner Bros. Suicide Squad along with Ryan Gosling, Tom Hardy, and Will Smith. Perhaps as a result, talks with DreamWorks for Ghost in the Shell have been tabled. Deadline now reports that the studio has put out an offer to The Avengers' Scarlett Johansson for $10 million dollars, a price she demands since she won her weekend with Luc Besson's Lucy and following the success of her work as Black Widow.
As I've said before, this is just a guess, but I'm willing to bet that the remake will not be set in future Japan, and Scarlett Johansson -- or whatever white actress they sign on for the role -- will not be playing anybody named Motoko Kusanagi. But maybe her hair will be purple. Scrub all that Asian shit out. It is the Hollywood way.
More here: Scarlett Johansson is Up for Ghost in the Shell