"Ghost in the Hell" Ghost in the Shell live action movie

[DragonMaster2010]

So here she is; the first image of Scarlet Johansson as Motoko Kusanagi in the new live action adaptation of the "Ghost in the Shell" anime series, now titled "Ghost in the Hell".

and......Oh boy.

Do you know who they COULD have chosen?

or

or

But nope. They didn't. They chose the most overrated actress of the film world. They got the female Cumberbatch to play her. Nothing against Scarlet, but there could've been way better actress to chose from.

 

[Demi-fiend]

I honestly couldn't think of a more appropriate title for this movie.

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http://www.ign.com/articles/2016/04...ts-tests-were-done-to-alter-actress-ethnicity

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Oh good, now I can produce my own rubbish version of persona 4 with nothing but a gray wig and some bad CG.

Yu Narukami, here I come.

 

[berto]

Yeah, I'm not on board.

The fact of the matter is they picked a white actress and while I don't believe it was a racist act I do know it was to sell the film to the American crowd because it's an American film and they want Americans to go see it because they think this is where the money is. I think they are seriously underestimating the foreign market and the popularity of GitS across the world. I happen to know that Mexico would watch a live action GitS but too many people there are going to have the same complaints as we are having: Kusanagi is a Japanese agent, not an American with a Japanese name. Same for other places that have numerous fans, like France, I think, and England. Yeah, it might appeal to the gringos but in truth it's not a great pitch to the rest of the world. Are they going to all be speaking English, too? Going to have to, otherwise America isn't going to go see it for very few exceptions.


Edith:
Leaked footage of that VFX test to change her etnicity:

 

[absolitude]

i can't complain with things like this, hollywood made that, so ofc they want "them" to play the character, it's their money.. if i want a real japanese to play the character, i will definitely get that from a japanese production, but they aren't making it aren't they? but yeah, least they could pick other white actress, one that isn't anywhere and actually impressing or kinda impressing..

well if you like that korean taeyeon or jessica or what's her name, thirlby kinda look like them

anyway, this movie wont be any better than the animated GiTS movie

 

[Chancey289]

I said this in another thread earlier, but Scar Jo being cast is not "white washing". It's just them localizing the property and adding star power. Japan does the same exact ****ing thing and yet no one bitches.

Also, Kusanagi's ethnicity was never crucial to the character, just the fact that she's a badass cyborg who ALSO allegedly switches cybernetic bodies completely to even those of different gender. You can keep everything the same and it still makes sense within the lore.

 

[DragonMaster2010]

I said this in another thread earlier, but Scar Jo being cast is not "white washing". It's just them localizing the property and adding star power. Japan does the same exact ****ing thing and yet no one bitches.

Also, Kusanagi's ethnicity was never crucial to the character, just the fact that she's a badass cyborg who ALSO allegedly switches cybernetic bodies completely to even those of different gender. You can keep everything the same and it still makes sense within the lore.

That doesn't change a damn thing. She was made in Japan and as such would obviously have physical Japanese attributes since she was made by a Japanese company. Plus in the anime, she was technically Japanese. It's about having representation on the big screen, but POC's always getting snuffed out of it in some way shape or form.

You can try and justify it all you want, but in the end, when a Japanese character is changes white for the sake of ratings and more views in the theater, I consider that white washing. And I felt the exact same way about when Japanese people do it. Especially with Attack on Titans.

 

[Demi-fiend]

Uh guys, I wasn't kidding about that Persona 4 thing.... anyone wanna donate to my paypal?

IZANAGI. :ninja:

You'll get a free copy of the movie, I promise! :laugh:

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Edit:

Wait no, new idea:

A new IP where I go to Japan, change my name to a Japanese one while getting a Japanese green card, then go on nightly adventures within Japanese Limbo where I fight Japanese monsters.

In the daytime, I do investigative work in a private agency -- wait this is starting to sound a bit too familiar...

 

[Dark Drakan]

They got the female Cumberbatch to play her.

Nothing really all that interesting to me and I'm sick of seeing Buckerpuke Creeperbutt in everything.

I just don't find it all that interesting of a trailer probably because I don't care about Doctor Strange at all, nor do I like the actor playing him.

Seem to have a real hate for him...dont know what you have got against him but I really enjoy his work and he has been nominated for a lot of awards for his acting as well as winning 5 awards (so far). He might be a little odd looking and fine to not like him but most people would still rate his acting ability at least.

Though Scarlet Johansson was an odd choice for this particular role I have to say. Seems most actors/actresses these days are picked for roles based on if their face on the promotional posters sells tickets rather than if they fit the role based on their acting ability. I mean if someone doesnt know an actor or actresses (like ones you posted pics of) then they might simply ignore a movie. More well known actors will get roles over lesser known ones, regardless of if their image fits a character better. If an actor/actress can make me believe them as a character then im not overly fussed with if they fit the ideal image or not.

 

[Chancey289]

That doesn't change a damn thing. She was made in Japan and as such would obviously have physical Japanese attributes since she was made by a Japanese company. Plus in the anime, she was technically Japanese. It's about having representation on the big screen, but POC's always getting snuffed out of it in some way shape or form.

You can try and justify it all you want, but in the end, when a Japanese character is changes white for the sake of ratings and more views in the theater, I consider that white washing. And I felt the exact same way about when Japanese people do it. Especially with Attack on Titans.

White washing is casting a bunch of white people to play Egyptians in Exodus: Gods and Kings.

White washing would also be casting a white guy in the role of Black Panther, or a white woman in the role of Storm for example.

This is simply localization with star power attached. Something almost every country does when it comes to an adaption. (they also did cast Japanese actors in this film, so just saying) Japan does the same exact thing when they remake our movies. And the main reason for that is because Japan is a very homogeneous country. So sorry if they can't seem to find a bunch of European actors to play in a Japanese production of Attack on Titan. That movie was utter garbage anyway so we can just forget about that.

 

[Demi-fiend]

I actually don't like Cumberbatch too much either... don't know why.

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Anyway, Kusanagi is -- well, if it had to be a white woman, maybe they should've gotten someone who at least looks a bit more... anime-ish?

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@Chancey289

But they still gave her a Japanese name and tried to do VFX on her to make her look more Asian.

That's pretty offensive, and I'm not PC at all. I absolutely loathe PC culture.

They could've at least said she was some sort of Eastern European robot or whatever...

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While working on the movie, "Her" they filmed in Shanghai while saying that that city was a futuristic version of LA -- fair enough. She was a robot in that role too.

 

[Chancey289]

I actually don't like Cumberbatch too much either... don't know why.

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Anyway, Kusanagi is -- well, if it had to be a white woman, maybe they should've gotten someone who at least looks a bit more... anime-ish?

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@Chancey289

But they still gave her a Japanese name and tried to do VFX on her to make her look more Asian.

That's pretty offensive, and I'm not PC at all. I absolutely loathe PC culture.

They could've at least said she was some sort of Eastern European robot or whatever...

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While working on the movie, "Her" they filmed in Shanghai while saying that that city was a futuristic version of LA -- fair enough. She was a robot in that role too.

I heard about that news and how it's also been reported as a rumor, and I'm not so quick to believe everything I see on the internet, but if it's true, it is ****ed up.

Still, people forget Kusanagi can look like whatever the hell she wants. She doesn't have a "real" body. I'm sticking by the whole things that it's just localization and casting a lead with star power. Something no studio is really new to doing.

We have a bunch of anime fans bitching about this like usual. I mean, there was claims that Hollywood white washed Goku when it came to the Dragonball movie, even though Goku isn't Asian.

 

[xMobilemux]

If it means gratuitous T&A with Scarlet then I'm all for it, movie is gonna suck anyway.

 

[Demi-fiend]

@Chancey289

Wait... you have to look at this from an outsider's point of view -- expand your horizons a little.

This is how it looks like from our side of the table:

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For contrast, this is the original video:

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Even for someone who's as anti-PC as I am, this is still pretty cringeworthy.

Even if Kusanagi can "look like whatever she wants" it still bears repeating that she has a Japanese name. If they want to westernize it, why not change the name?

Because they want both the recognition and star power -- they want both, and people can see that this is a product of greed.

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If you want to watch it, go ahead -- the rest of us will tell others to not go see it.

I don't like scarjo, and I don't like it when studios do these things because they think we'll pay for it.

We won't. In fact, the opposite will happen.

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So by all means, support the movie -- we're going to ask everyone we see to ignore this because it is, in our opinion, a blatant cash grab.

Yes, every studio out there hypes up star power -- but we're living in different times now, and this studio could've taken a stand and hired a talented actress that was still under everyone's radar. They could've defied convention and showed that at the very least that they had integrity, if not a recognizable actress.

But they didn't. Because they want money.

The protesters know this, and we're refusing to give them any.

You can't have it both ways.

 

[Dark Drakan]

If it means gratuitous T&A with Scarlet then I'm all for it

No disrespect intended to her but this is main reason people go to watch her movies unfortunately.

 

[xMobilemux]

No disrespect intended to her but this is main reason people go to watch her movies unfortunately.

It sure as hell isn't for her acting talent.

 

[absolitude]

first of all, i don't think the movie will make big money for reason most people won't know what it's about and based on what.. unless lucy did make good money..

 

[Demi-fiend]

For those who didn't watch the videos I posted:

Ok, it's one thing to be a Japanese um... "fan" in Tokyo. I remember watching a youtube vid of some westerner with a katana (most likely a fake wooden one for obvious reasons) strapped to his back.

A Cringelord to be sure, but an understandable one.

I'd probably do the same if I weren't so self-conscious. Because who hasn't wanted to wander around with a sword on their back, feeling like some badass (poser) adventurer?

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However, this is going all the way to the other side of cultural insensitivity. This would be me wandering into a yakuza hangout with bandages on my fingers, painted dragon tattoos on my face, and an eyepatch.

As I see it, you're asking for trouble at this point.

This video right here pretty much sums up the whole situation...

 

[lorddemolatron]

untill i not see any trailer of this movie to jugde style im not buing all of that whitewashing crap since well there are these otakus whining that any liveaction anime movie what is not Asian produced must be crap one .

BTW, im Ghost in the shell anime and manga series fan but once wanted to see how Western produced Live action movie would look like.

 

[Demi-fiend]

but once wanted to see how Western produced Live action movie would look like.

There's your answer.

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I'd like to imagine that the director saw this right before immediately shoving this script into the trash, and that'd be why the American Akira didn't happen.

 

[DragonMaster2010]

Seem to have a real hate for him...dont know what you have got against him but I really enjoy his work and he has been nominated for a lot of awards for his acting as well as winning 5 awards (so far). He might be a little odd looking and fine to not like him but most people would still rate his acting ability at least.

I'm both sick of seeing him in everything, and just some of the ways he treats his fans and his fans in general irks me too much. I already didn't care much for Dr. Who, and now this just makes me care less.

This is simply localization with star power attached. Something almost every country does when it comes to an adaption. (they also did cast Japanese actors in this film, so just saying) Japan does the same exact thing when they remake our movies. And the main reason for that is because Japan is a very homogeneous country. So sorry if they can't seem to find a bunch of European actors to play in a Japanese production of Attack on Titan. That movie was utter garbage anyway so we can just forget about that.

It's a cheap and lousy way to get attention for a movie. At least when Japan does remake our movies, they actually changed the names to Japanese rather then keep the English ones.