--- description: From comic book star to anime star title: Scarlett Johansson Confirmed to Star in 'Ghost in the Shell' image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9fd151ea9c940138/6987782fe53abaad9d4d6d6f/ghost-in-the-shell.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Entertainment](/section/entertainment/) ## Entertainment Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [movies](/tag/movies/) ## movies Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # Scarlett Johansson Confirmed to Star in _Ghost in the Shell_ by [Joseph C. Lin](/author/joseph-c-lin/) ## Joseph C. Lin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 5, 2015 7:42 PM CUT  Left: Scarlett Johansson; Right: Major Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the Shell Left: Scarlett Johansson; Right: Major Motoko Kusanagi in Ghost in the ShellGetty Images; Production I.G by [Joseph C. Lin](/author/joseph-c-lin/) ## Joseph C. Lin Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Jan 5, 2015 7:42 PM CUT Coming off the success of her lead role in last year’s blockbuster _Lucy,_ Scarlett Johansson is set to star in another sci-fi action movie, Dreamworks’ live-action adaptation of the iconic Japanese anime/manga _Ghost in the Shell_. _Ghost in the Shell_ was originally created by Masamune Shirow in 1989 as a manga, or Japanese comic book, before being adapted into an anime movie by the same name in 1995\. Set in the year 2029, the franchise revolves around the exploits of Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cybernetically enhanced cyborg who works for a fictional covert ops division of Japan’s National Public Safety Commission called Public Security Section 9\. Major Motoko and her team engage in everything ranging from counter-terrorist activities to cyber warfare to help maintain the status quo in a futuristic Japan. No details have been released yet about how _Ghost in the Shell_ will be adapted, leaving everything from the setting to even the name of the iconic main character, Major Motoko, up to question. With Hollywood’s poor track record with anime adaptations (_Dragonball: Evolution_ and _Speed Racer)_, here’s hoping _Ghost in the Shell_, doesn’t deviate too far from what made the original anime/manga a cult classic. Via [_The Hollywood Reporter_](http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/scarlett-johansson-star-dreamworks-ghost-761118 "undefined") ### See Photos of Celebrities When They Were Kids  Scarlett Johansson Getty Images; AP  Leonardo DiCaprio Getty Images (2)  Christian Bale Getty Images (2)  Emma Watson Getty Images (2)  Daniel Radcliffe Getty Images (2)  Rupert Grint Getty Images (2)  Kristen Stewart Getty Images (2)  Neil Patrick Harris Getty Images (2)  Kirsten Dunst Getty Images (2)  Dakota Fanning Getty Images (2)  Elijah Wood Getty Images (2)  Shia LaBeouf Getty Images (2)  Sean Astin Getty Images (2)  Drew Barrymore Getty Images (2)  Christina Ricci Getty Images (2)  Shailene Woodley Getty Images (2)  Wil Wheaton Getty Images (2)  Zac Efron Getty Images (2)  Michelle Trachtenberg Getty Images (2)  Taylor Lautner Getty Images (2)  Haley Joel Osment Getty Images (2) ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3654108/scarlett-johansson-ghost-in-the-shell-anime-manga/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3654108/scarlett-johansson-ghost-in-the-shell-anime-manga/"},"headline":"Scarlett Johansson Confirmed to Star in Ghost in the Shell","datePublished":"2015-01-05T19:42:33.000Z","dateModified":"2026-05-11T05:06:25.524Z","description":"From comic book star to anime star","url":"https://time.com/3654108/scarlett-johansson-ghost-in-the-shell-anime-manga/","keywords":["movies","Scarlett Johansson"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt9fd151ea9c940138/6987782fe53abaad9d4d6d6f/ghost-in-the-shell.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Joseph C. 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