Rila Fukushima has joined Ghost in the Shell, bringing the total number of actual Japanese cast members in a movie adapting a Japanese franchise to two.
Is this a step toward addressing claims that studios are whitewashing the movie? If it is, it's a small one, but a move that could nonetheless help pacify critics.
There is no word yet on what character Fukushima will be playing, but given that she has experience being part of the action, she'll definitely fit in being part of Public Security Section 9 or the opposing group. Previously, the actress appeared as Yukio, a female ninja in Wolverine, and as Katana in Arrow, a CW series.
There's no help seeing Scarlett Johansson as Major Motoko Kusanagi, but hopefully, more chances are given to Japanese actors and actresses. Even the adaptation's main villain, the Laughing Man, will be played by a Caucasian.
The movie has received a lot of backlash for its casting choices, starting when Johansson was announced to be playing the lead role. Not that the actress can't kick ass as Major Kusanagi. Given the extensive experience she's had as Black Widow, it's suffice to say she can kick anyone's ass any day. However, there's a little problem: she's not Japanese, and Kusanagi is.
It remains to be seen how Rupert Sanders will be playing around with the adaptation as its director, so there is still a chance that Johansson as Kusanagi could work. The director does have the eye for great visuals, so if nothing else, the movie can be expected to be a visual treat.
Aside from Fukushima and Johansson, Ghost in the Shell will star Michael Pitt as the Laughing Man, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche and Pilou Asbaek as Batou, Kusanagi's second-in-command in Section 9.
Ghost in the Shell started out as a manga series by Masamune Shirow. It was then adapted into an anime directed by Mamoru Oshii, which went on to become a hit in Japan and was widely recognized worldwide. In fact, Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and the Wachowski siblings have cited Ghost in the Shell as an influence.
Filming for the movie is underway in New Zealand. Ghost in the Shell is set to hit theaters on March 31, 2017.
