Ghost in the Shell Fans Petition for Scarlett Johansson To Be Replaced

When Dreamworks confirmed that a live-action adaptation of the 1995 cyberpunk anime Ghost in the Shell was confirmed, fans got excited to see how the iconic anime will be translated into the big screen, but when Scarlett Johansson was seletected to play the augmented-cybernetic human Motoko Kusanagi, a lot of fans expressed their frustrations against the studio's decision to whitewash the role.

Here's the overview of the petition from Care2Petitions

Fans of the iconic 1995 animated Japanese sci-fi film Ghost in the Shell have been anticipating a live-action remake for years – but now, instead of casting an Asian actress, Dreamworks has selected Scarlett Johansson for the lead role! The film revolves around Major Motoko Kusanagi, a member of a futuristic security force tasked with tracking a mysterious hacker.

The original film is set in Japan, and the major cast members are Japanese. So why would the American remake star a white actress? The industry is already unfriendly to Asian actors without roles in major films being changed to exclude them. One recent survey found that in 2013, Asian characters made up only 4.4% of speaking roles in top-grossing Hollywood films.

Dreamworks could be using this film to help provide opportunities for Asian-American actors in a market with few opportunities for them to shine – please sign the petition asking them to reconsider casting Scarlett Johansson in Ghost in the Shell and select actors who are truer to the cast of the original film!

You can sign the petition in the website. As much as I'd like to see Johansson in a badass role like this, I have to agree with the fans. I think Ghost in the Shell is a perfect opportunity for Asian actors to shine, and I hope Dreamworks would find a more fitting actress that would fill Kusanagi's shoes. Perhaps Rinko Kikuchi? Let's hope.