After some viral marketing and a truly tantalizing teaser, Paramount finally pulled back the lid on Ghost in the Shell this morning, revealing to the world just what an explosive, dazzling sci-fi epic they have planned for us. So far, reactions to the first full trailer have been slightly mixed though they’re definitely leaning more towards positive, and after watching it several times, we can say that we’re definitely happy with what we see.
The grand and stunning reveal came packing some gorgeous visuals, impressive production design, a definite Blade Runner vibe and poetic action sequences that have our jaws on the floor. All in all, it’s a truly exciting look at what might just be one of next year’s most explosive films.
Ghost in the Shell heralds another action-packed role for ScarJo following Lucy and Black Widow. Though there have been cries of whitewashing – many of which aren’t what one would label irrational – Johansson’s character, the Major, is said to be part of an “international story,” one that features Game of Thrones star Pilou Asbæk as Batou, her trusted lieutenant.
Juliette Binoche, Takeshi Kitano, Michael Pitt and Kaori Momoi are also set to star, while the remaining members of Section 9 are to be filled out by Chin Han, Danusia Samal, Lasarus Ratuere, Yutaka Izumihara and Tuwanda Manyimo. It’s an impressive cast to be sure, and under the confident direction of Rupert Sanders, we can’t wait to see how it all comes together.
As if the explosive trailer wasn’t enough, we now have even more to feast our eyes on, as IGN has released the first two minutes of the upcoming live-action adaptation, which pay homage to the 1995 anime film. Given that it’s one of the franchise’s most iconic scenes, it makes sense that Sanders would include a nod to it here, and it certainly looks as if he’s done it justice.
In the clip above, you’ll see the creation of a cyborg – one who just so happens to be the main character, Scarlett Johansson’s Major. Often referred to by fans as the “shelling sequence,” it’s had an impact on numerous films and television shows throughout the years, ranging from The Matrix to HBO’s Westworld, as IGN tells us.
Weta Digital is handling much of the effects work on Ghost in the Shell and speaking about making this particular scene, here’s what they had to say:
“If you look at things like the transitions of light through the skeletal structure and the exposure of the understructure the skeleton with the ballistics gel and the muscularity of the visual imagery and so on, you can start to appreciate at some level the challenges around building objects that can emulate this,” said Weta’s Richard Taylor during a visit to the movie’s New Zealand set. “The animatronics required are some of the most advanced we’ve done.”
It certainly sounds as if we’re in for some impressive effects then, and it’s clear that the filmmakers have gone to great lengths to keep the spirit of the original in tact. Will their hard work pay off? As of now things look promising, but we won’t know for sure until Ghost in the Shell bursts into theatres next year, on March 31st, 2017.
For more on the film, be sure to check out our detailed trailer breakdown.
