2) Ghost In The Shell (2017)
Where to begin? Ghost in the Shell has always been heralded as one of the greatest manga novels to have come out of Japan. The prescient story tells the tale of Public Security Section 9 as they battle the ever-increasing presence of cyberterrorism. Originally published in 1989, Ghost in a Shell has become a staple of manga culture, inspiring many other future iterations and launching itself into a bonafide franchise.
But soon enough, Hollywood’s greedy paws came scratching at the door. The Americanized adaptation was originally highly anticipated by fans of the series, but it was quickly dogged by controversies. Ripped apart for its whitewash casting decisions, Ghost in the Shell was dead-upon-arrival for many individuals, who saw the glossier version starring Scarlett Johansson as narratively lacklustre, visually burdensome and racially insensitive. But while Japanese fans were not as concerned with the ethnic casting choices, they did find it unnerving how much of the original story’s depth was removed in the Hollywood version.
Even diehard fans couldn’t save the film from failure, with the blockbuster going on to see an abysmal box office return of a mere $160 million off a budget of $250 million (which includes production and marketing costs). It appears that Ghost in the Shell’s whitewashing controversy and mediocre reviews ensured that it never had a successful theatrical run, thus rightfully garnering its place on this list.
