Ghost in the Shell’s upcoming live action film has some interesting cast decisions…
Oh man. First off let me say Rinko Kikuchi, known for her roles in Pacific Rim and one of my favorites Norwegian Wood, would be a MUCH better fit than… umm… Scarlett Johansson. I say this not only because of Kikuchi’s acting prowess and the personal style similarities she has with Motoko Kusanagi but also because… umm.. she’s Japanese?
Here we have yet another example of the Whitewashing Hollywood does, an act that’s built upon a not too pleasant American history but one that the industry seems to not care to correct ’cause money. I read somewhere that the reason for casting Scarlett Johansson was because there’s not many new stars in Hollywood, and so casting her was a way to get some star power associated with the film or whatever (find that article Here). Yeah, because non anime and manga fans are really going to flock to a live action adaptation of a Japanese series that has a specific cult following, which is even lesser outside of Japan.
How else will Hollywood discover new talent, particularly talent of color, if they’re not given a chance? A film like Ghost in the Shell is the perfect vehicle to give new talent an opportunity to shine, because it’s not like it’s going to make mainstream bucks anyway. And it’s not like there’s NO Japanese actresses, or at the very least Asian, in Hollywood to take the role because there definitely are (and i’m not just talking about Lucy Liu, who for the record I don’t think would be a good fit). I’m not even going to begin to tackle this supposed CGI Asian-face thing that’s happening ’cause OMG WAT.
Basically if you’re not going to do something right, just don’t do it at all. It’s like a Black or Hispanic person being cast to play Queen Elizabeth: it’s culturally and contextually incorrect. Motoko Kusanagi is Japanese, the story takes place in Japan and is centered around the Japanese government. The fact that all of this even has to be said is problematic.
At the end of the day I won’t be watching the new Ghost in the Shell film unless 1) the casting is changed or 2) it’s ripped and uploaded onto Dailymotion or something. No way in hell am I going to give this project any bit of my money and if anime/manga fans, or just people who generally see the bullshit, all withhold their cash as well we can hopefully send a message. You tell me:
Should this play the role of The Major
Or this
