‘Ghost In The Shell’ Adds ‘Wolverine’ Star Rila Fukushima
DreamWorks adaptation of the animeGhost in the Shellhas come under fire for whitewashing by casting Scarlett Johansson in the lead role as Kusanagi, a cyborg that is a part of an elite cybercrime-fighting task force known as Section 9. However, there will be some Asian talent on board the project in key roles in a poor attempt to heal the wounds left by this increasingly annoying method of casting.
Takeshi Kitanohas already been brought into play Daisuke Aramaki, the chief of Public Security Section 9. Now Japanese actressRila Fukushima, who had her breakout role as Yukio inThe Wolverineback in 2013, has come on board. More below.
The casting of Rila Fukushima inGhost in the Shellis a welcome one for fans who were disappointed in the lack of roles for Asian actors, but there’s no specifics fromThe Hollywood Reporter’s story regarding which character she will be playing.
Though Fukushima had a big role inThe Wolverine, her career on the big screen hasn’t evolved much since then. It’s hard to tell if that’s simply because of the lack of good roles for Asian talent in Hollywood or if because she doesn’t seem to be all that gifted of an actress (in my opinion). But Fukushima has found a good gig as Tatsu Yamashiro/Katana on The CW seriesArrow.
Fukushima joins a cast that also includesMichael Pitt(Boardwalk Empire)as the villain known as The Laughing Man, a bitter and vengeful man with a body that is part robot. He has a unique sense of style and has been described as a bad guy filtered through the lens of a street artist. That sounds like a hipster villain to me, so maybe he throws vinyl records as his weapon. Just kidding, a hipster would never risk damaging their record collection.
In addition, Scarlett Johansson’s Lucy co-starPilous Asbækis on board the project as Kusanagi’s right-hand man Batou. Meanwhile, the rest of the cast includesJuliette Binoche(Godzilla, Certified Copy) as Dr. Ouelet,Kaori Momoi(Memoirs of a Geisha),Chin Han(Independence Day: Resurgence),Sanusia Samal(Tyrant),Lasarus Ratuere(Terra Nova),Yutaka Izumihara(Unbroken) andTuwanda Manyimo(The Rover).
Ghost in the Shellis being directed bySnow White and the HuntsmandirectorRupert Sandersand production is underway in New Zealand right now with a script fromStraight Outta ComptonscribeJonathan Herman. The film is set for release onMarch 31, 2017.
