Extra, Extra!: Scarlett Johansson Joins Ghost in the Shell Remake

In which I report on the latest in entertainment news.

It would appear that nervous anime fans have one less thing to worry about these days.  The live action remake of the classic cyberpunk film Ghost in the Shell, which is set to hit theaters in early 2017, has secured action mainstay Scarlett Johansson to star in the film.

Best known for her roles as Black Widow in the MCU (appearing in Iron Man 2, The Avengers, Captain America: The Winter Soldier and the upcoming Avengers: Age of Ultron), Johansson is the iconic female badass of the 21st Century: what Linda Hamilton and Sygourney Weaver were to the 20th Century.  Her undeniable on-screen presence, paired with her surprising range as an actress, makes her the ideal choice to tackle the role of Major Motoko Kusanagi: a cyberneticly enhanced police officer charged with tracking down an ellite hacker known only as The Puppet Master.

Ghost in the Shell and its sequel have garnered a considerable international following since its 1995 release.  Its influence has permiated throughout the action and science fiction genres, much of which was approrpiated into 1999's The Matrix.  And by "appropriate," I mean directly lifted, down to specific shots and scenes.

Perplexingly enough, the film is being produced by Dreamworks: a company that's built a name for itself as a bawdy alternative to Disney.  Despite this, it has successfully dabbled in live-action in the past.  Saving Private Ryan, Gladiator and Minority Report were all produced (at least in part) by the studio.

Rupert Sanders, director of Snow White and the Huntsman, is set to helm a script penned by virtual unknowns Jamie Moss and William Wheeler.  Beyond those principle three, and Johansson herself, there's not much else known about the project.

That being said, 2017 already has some stiff competition in terms of action films.  Marvel has three films set for release that year - Guardians of the Galaxy 2, Thor: Ragnarok  and Black Panther.  DC has a female-driven action film of its own in the form of Wonder Woman, not to mention its long awaited Justice League.  Meanwhile, Fox already has a Fantastic 4 sequel and a third Wolverine stand-alone film lined up.  Sony has two Spider-Man spin-offs: Venom: Carnage and an unnamed female-headed project.  Whether it can weather its competitors remains something to be seen.

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