Back in April, months after Paramount castScarlett JohanssoninGhost in the Shell, the studio released a first look image of the actress as The Major, known as Major Kusanaga in the original Japanese manga. Fans started to express their displeasure with this casting as production got under way, withGhost in the Shellbecoming part of the expanding conversation about “whitewashing” in Hollywood. As production continues, new photos have surfaced that not only revealScarlett Johanssonin costume, but several of her co-stars.
The story centers on The Major, a special ops cyborg who leads acounter-cyberterroristorganization called Public Security Section 9 for Hanka Robotics. The Major and her team will set out to stop some of the most dangerous criminals in the world, led by the extremist The Laughing Man, played bySam Riley. This villain will stop at nothing to destroy the Hanka organization and the man’s advancements in cyber technology.
The photos, which first surfaced onCrunchyroll, features our first look at Ishikawa (Lasarus Ratuere), Togusa (Chin Han), Saito (Yutaka Izumihara), Borma (Tawanda Manyimo), Batou (Pilou Asbæk) and Aramaki (Takeshi Kitano). It’s possible that these are unfinished versions of publicity photos that may be released officially sometime soon, but we don’t know for sure. It also isn’t known how long production is expected to last for.
The supporting cast also includesRila Fukushima,Michael Pitt,Peter FerdinandoandJuliette Binoche.Rupert Sandersdirects from a script byJonathan Herman, based onMasamune Shirow’s original Kodansha Comics manga. The adaptation is currently set for release on August 10, 2025, going up against 20th Century Fox}‘sBoss Babyand Focus Features’The Zookeeper’s Wife.
This adaptation is based on the very popular manga that follows Kusanagi (Johansson), a cyborg that is a part of an elite cybercrime-fighting task force known as Section 9. The series was originally published in 1989 and was written by Masamune Shirow. It is generally considered to be one of the best manga series ever published. Other adaptations ofGhost in the Shellhave come before, with an animated series, spin off books and even a video game. We’ll have to wait and see if this live action movie can live up to the fans’ lofty expectations. Take a look at these photos below, and stay tuned for more onGhost in the Shell.
