Scarlett Johansson fleshes out popular manga character

CEBU, Philippines - Scarlett Johansson leads the cast of “Ghost in the Shell,” the live-action adaptation of the acclaimed Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Shirow Masamune.

In the near future, Major (Johansson) is the first of her kind: A human saved from a terrible crash, cyber-enhanced to be a perfect soldier devoted to stopping the world’s most dangerous criminals. When terrorism reaches a new level that includes the ability to hack into people’s minds and control them, Major is uniquely qualified to stop it. As she prepares to face a new enemy, Major discovers that she has been lied to: her life was not saved, it was stolen. She will stop at nothing to recover her past, find out who did this to her and stop them before they do it to others.

Johansson brings the central character an inner life that director Rupert Sanders felt was absent in her animated incarnation.

“In the anime, the Major is quite distant and that’s beguiling and mysterious,” he says. “But with this film, we need to understand what she’s going through. Our story brings the audience into what is happening with her internally and allows the character to grow.”

“Scarlett brought a childlike quality to the character, which is very important because this is a Pinocchio story in a way,” the director continues. “Scarlett’s very clever at allowing us little moments where we’re able to get into the character, then she pushes us away again.”

Fighting cyberterrorism unexpectedly puts Major on a path to self-discovery, says Johansson. “This character comes to believe that she has both a life she’s been given, and a life that she chooses. That’s the real reason I wanted to do this film. Finding one’s true identity, the feeling of isolation, as well as the connection that we all share — these are always relevant themes.”

The actress was also drawn to the extraordinary visuals Sanders developed. “That’s what clinched the deal for me,” says Johansson. “What he has created is not just an homage for the fans. It’s not the pristine future that we sometimes imagine. Humanity has engulfed itself, like a snake eating its tail. Cities are built upon cities, people made out of other people and computers.”

Producer Michael Costigan says that Johansson was the only actress he envisioned in the role.

“This character has to have humanity and yet this otherness to her,” says the producer. “She has to both connect with the audience and keep them at a distance. We could not think of anyone other than Scarlett who could do that.”

Mamoru Oshii, who directed the “Ghost in the Shell” anime, praises the actress for her ability to portray a character whose mind and body are not in synch.

“Major has a fierce, combative side, but she is also plagued by insecurity. She’s not entirely human, but not a robot either. Scarlett is so close to my original vision for the character.”

Since the publication of the original manga in 1989, “Ghost in the Shell” has inspired a devoted worldwide following, including influential filmmakers like Steven Spielberg, James Cameron and the Wachowskis. The epic media franchise includes two landmark anime films, two TV series, novels, video and mobile games.

Sanders was already familiar with the first “Ghost in the Shell” anime feature, which he lauds as a milestone in modern cinema for how it blends a quintessentially Japanese milieu with popular sci-fi tropes.

“The grown-up animation is pretty spectacular,” says the director. “It set the standard for a futuristic global aesthetic. The character of Major is fundamentally exciting — she’s so powerful and sexual. She’s a human and she’s a machine. The mix of all these elements was very intoxicating to me as a filmmaker.”

After Sanders officially signed on to the project in January 2014, he presented the producers with an original 110-page graphic novel to lay out his take on the film.

“The imagery really strikes a nerve,” says Sanders. “Those images became the cornerstone for us. We didn’t reinvent it from the ground up, but we also didn’t copy it frame for frame.”

Sanders’ intention was to build a bigger film around the source material, while honoring the heart, philosophical essence and the iconic images that have made the story universally popular.

“We kept the Geisha as our opening sequence,” he says. “We kept the trash truck. We kept some of the Hanka Corporation, and many little things that as a fan I was obsessed with. Although there are conversations about humanity, technology and dualism, our film is primarily a journey of discovery told through a fairly straightforward detective story. Major is after a bad guy, which leads to the question, who is this guy? What’s he taking and why is he taking it? But as she goes down this road, she starts to understand that her path and his path are closer than she thought.”

Says Oshii, who was invited to visit the set during filming in Hong Kong: “This is the most gorgeous film made in the series so far. And Scarlett has gone beyond my expectations for the role of Major.” (FREEMAN)