It wasn't long after Scarlett Johansson's casting in the live-action reboot of "Ghost In The Shell" that fans expressed their dismay, accusing Hollywood of "white washing" such great anime titles. The outcry from the public demanded that the role should be go to an asian actress, being that the title originates from Japan.
Plans of a reboot first surfaced when Stephen Spielberg, an avid fan of the title, bought the rights to the animation with the intent of making a live-action version. In the early stages of planning, the project already had Jamie Moss (X Men: First Class) in charge of the screenplay. Eventually the plans fell out and the project was shelved.
It wasn't until early last year that reports claimed the project is once again a "go," this time with an actress already in contention of playing the lead role.
Margot Robbie, who showed her acting chops in 2014's "Wolf of Wall Street" was apparently the studio's top choice. A few months of negotiations between Dreamworks and the actress went on but she eventually passed up on the offer, signing up instead for Warner Bros. "Suicide Squad" movie.
Late last year, the role ended up with Johansson which seemed appropriate as she had just starred in 2014's block buster "Lucy", a sci-fi action where she plays a character who possesses heightened mental and physical capabilities from synthetic drug.
Elsewhere, another beloved anime title has been reported getting a reboot. "Robotech" aka "Marcross" in Japan is getting a big screen adaptation from Warner Bros. with Mark Canton and Gianni Nunnari on board as producers. Andy Muschietti of "Mama" fame is reported to be the top choice in directing the project.
Leonardo DiCaprio was rumored joining the "Robotech" reboot back in 2013.
