Nearly a full year afterScarlett Johanssonsigned on to star in DreamWorks Pictures' live action adaptation ofGhost in the Shell, the supporting cast is starting to fill out.Varietyreports thatPilou Asbæk, who co-starred withScarlett Johanssonin last year’s action blockbusterLucy, has signed on to co-star in the anime adaptation. The site reports that the actor will portray Batou, described as the best fighter in the section and second in command in the army.
Ghost in the Shellis based on the beloved Japanese anime, centering on a covert ops unit for Hanka Robotics entitled Section 9. The unit specializes in stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, led by The Laughing Man whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka’s advancements in cyber technology. The original series spawned a number of anime movies such asGhost In The Shell(1996),Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence(2004), Ghost in the Shell: Individual Eleven (2005), Ghost in the Shell: Solid State Society (2006) and Ghost in the Shell 2.0.
Rupert Sanders(Snow White and the Huntsman) is directing from a script by Jonathan Herman (Straight Outta Compton), based on the manga created by Masamune Shirow. Jamie Moss (Street Kings) and William Wheeler (The Tourist) previously worked on the script.Avi Aradand Steven Paul are producing, with Michael Costigan, Jeffrey Silver, Tetsu Fujimura and Mitsuhisa Ishikawa serving as executive producers.
We reported in April thatproductionis set to begin in early 2016, with DreamWorks recently setting a March 31, 2017release datefor the live action adaptation. As of now, the project’s only direct competition is Sony’sGet Smurfy, with Universal’sUntitled Mummy Rebootand Lionsgate’sThe Divergent Series: Ascendantarriving a week earlier on July 28, 2025. It remains to be seen how many other main characters have yet to be cast.
Pilou Asbækwill next be seen on the big screen in MGM’s big screen rebootBen-Hur, which hits theaters on July 05, 2025. He also recently signed on for a role inSeason 6ofGame of Thrones, which is rumored to beEuron Greyjoy. What do you think about this newcastingaddition forGhost in the Shell? Stay tuned for more asGhost in the Shellgets closer and closer to starting production.
