By Jackie Shannon
Nothing short of a legend in his native Japan, Takeshi Kitano – like many of his homeland compatriots – has made only fleeting appearances outside of his own national cinema, with his last appearance in an American film coming courtesy of the disastrous 1995 William H. Gibson adaptation, Johnny Mnemonic, starring Keanu Reeves. Thankfully for viewers, this prolific actor, writer, and director, has instead focused on more personal, idiosyncratic works like Hana-Bi, Brother, Dolls, Zatoichi, and Outrage.
Kitano is now set to return to the world stage…but with a decidedly Japanese flavour, taking on a major role in the big studio pic, Ghost In The Shell, which is based on the famous Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masamune Shirow. Rupert Sanders (Snow White & The Huntsman) will direct, with Scarlett Johansson in line to star.
Ghost In The Shell follows a female special ops cyborg who leads an elite task force called Section 9. Section 9 is devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, led by an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology. Kitano will play Daisuke Aramaki, the founder and leader of Section 9.
“This film tells the story of mankind in the near future in a unique setting,” the actor said in an official statement. “My role of Aramaki is a unique and attractive character. The story revolves around the human relationships of the characters. This film will be stylish and entertaining, which is completely different from the type of movies that I direct myself. This excited me, and was the reason why I decided to participate in this film.”
