Watch: Ghost in the Shell’s Hollywood Adaptation Gets a Stunning Trailer

02.13.2017

A tidbit from Ghost in the Shell may return the upcoming Hollywood reimagining into fans’ good graces. The film’s directors received no shortage of backlash for casting Scarlett Johansson to play the role of a Japanese character, Motoko Kusanagi last year – but what they’ve delivered for the official trailer looks to pay respectful homage to the original.

Fans of Mamoru Oshii‘s 1995 Japanese animation of the same title will delight in how closely director Rupert Sanders has adhered to the source material. While a fair amount of original dialogue appears to have found its way into the script, much of the cinematography features frame-for-frame recreations of scenes from the film.

Besides that, some measure of creative liberty is to be expected – and at that, it’s necessary to provide context for western audiences. After all, before the 1995 film had come out, a Japanese comic book series of its namesake by Masamune Shirow had been in circulation for roughly six years.

The Ghost in the Shell franchise stood out from other anime of the time as its sophisticated depiction of a dystopian mid-21st century Japan was rife with social and political commentary. Set in the fictional Japanese city of Niihama, it addressed how cybernetic neural enhancement might impact various facets of society.

Ghost in the Shell will hit theaters on March 31st of 2017. After watching the official trailer, listen to Ki:Theory‘s cover of “Enjoy the Silence” by Depeche Mode, which is included in the film’s soundtrack:

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