The controversy continues to bubble around what some are calling white-washing when it comes to the live action remake of “Ghost In The Shell.” Based on the beloved anime, the casting of Scarlett Johansson has raised concerns in some quarters, but one person who is not having it is Mamoru Oshii, the director of the original film.
“What issue could there possibly be with casting her?” he told IGN. “The Major is a cyborg and her physical form is an entirely assumed one. The name ‘Motoko Kusanagi’ and her current body are not her original name and body, so there is no basis for saying that an Asian actress must portray her. Even if her original body (presuming such a thing existed) were a Japanese one, that would still apply.”
“In the movies, John Wayne can play Genghis Khan, and Omar Sharif, an Arab, can play Doctor Zhivago, a Slav. It’s all just cinematic conventions,” he added. “If that’s not allowed, then Darth Vader probably shouldn’t speak English, either. I believe having Scarlett play Motoko was the best possible casting for this movie. I can only sense a political motive from the people opposing it, and I believe artistic expression must be free from politics.”
As for Paramount, they are side-stepping the issue by just showing off as much of the movie as possible before it opens next week, including the first five minutes of the film, a clip, and some new featurettes.
“Ghost In The Shell” opens on March 31st.
ICYMI: watch an extended clip from #GhostintheShell from the beginning of the movie. pic.twitter.com/pk2YVOkqlL
— Paramount Pictures (@ParamountUK) March 22, 2017