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Ghost in the Shell Producers Reportedly Testing Visual Effects to Make Scarlett Johansson Appear Asian


The live-action adaptation of Ghost in the Shell received quite a bit of a backlash back in 2015 when it was announced that Danish-Polish actress Scarlett Johansson was cast as the lead character Major Motoko Kusanagi, who is an Asian woman.

The controversy resurfaced when the first photo of the 31-year-old actress as "Major" was released. The cast of Ghost in the Shell is largely Asian, but many are still questioning the studio's decision of choosing a Caucasian actress instead of just an actress with a more appropriate ethnicity.

Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D. star Ming-Na Wen, who is Chinese-American, had strong feelings for the casting. She expressed her dismay in the tweet below:

In light of the current backlash, multiple independent sources close to the project (h/t Screen Crush) are saying that Paramount and DreamWorks are now exploring CGI to fix the problem. The studios have reportedly commissioned visual effects tests to "shift" Johansson's ethnicity and make her appear more Asian.

The current report adds that the Ghost in the Shell visual effects tests were conducted by Lola VFX, the company that was responsible for Brad Pitt's aged appearane in The Curious Case of Benjamin Button.

Sounds promising. However, an insider said the idea was "immediately" rejected following a review.

Screen Crush claims that Paramount Pictures acknowledged the tests but added that Johansson had no idea that they were conducted:

A test was done related to a specific scene for a background actor which was ultimately discarded. Absolutely no visual effects tests were conducted on Scarlett's character and we have no future plans to do so.

Meanwhile, Lola VFX has yet to respond to requests for comment.

The move sounded good enough if the studios really intended to address the whitewashing controversy that the film's casting is being criticized of. But it begs the question why they didn't just cast someone who actually looked Asian. I suppose I can't really blame them. Being an A-list actress, having Scarlett Johansson on board the project would instantaneously pique viewers' interest and would most likely mean ticket sales.

Ghost in the Shell opens in theaters on March 31, 2017.

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