Filming is underway in New Zealand for the Hollywood live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell and the production partners have revealed a little more information about it. In addition to the updated premise for the film they’ve revealed the first image from it with Scarlett Johansson as the lead character. Additionally, the cast has expanded with Juliette Binoche joining as well as a number of other actors to flesh out Section 9 that you can see below.
“We are so pleased to be in Wellington to shoot ‘Ghost in the Shell,’” said producers Avi Arad, Ari Arad, Michael Costigan and Jeffrey Silver. “The city boasts state-of-the-art production facilities and a rich urban landscape that make it an ideal setting for a sci-fi action film. The crew-base in New Zealand working on the film is first class, and working with Sir Richard Taylor and the team at Weta Workshop is inspirational on every level. The people of New Zealand have been terrific partners in helping us bring this story and its beloved characters to audiences around the world and we are thankful for their continued hospitality.”
The feature is set to debut on March 31st, 2017 and is directed by Rupert Sanders while being produced by Avi Arad and Steven Paul with Mark Saurian as executive producer. Scarlett Johansson stars as the lead, Pilou Asbæk as Batou, Michael Pitt as the Laughing Man, Juliette Binoche as Dr. Ouelet, Beat Takashi as Daisuke Aramaki and Kaori Momoi. The members of Section 9 are played by Chin Han, Danusia Samal, Lasarus Ratuere, Yutaka Izumihara and Tuwanda Manyimo.
Property concept: Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, Ghost in the Shell follows the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology.
