Takeshi Kitano, better known as Beat Takeshi, has officially signed on to star alongside Scarlett Johansson in DreamWorks’ upcoming adaptation of Ghost in the Shell.
Based on the anime of the same name, the adaptation — which is being helmed by Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders — follows Johansson’s cyborg police officer who’s on a mission to take down a diabolical computer hacker.
Kitano, who’s the first Japanese actor to join the Westernized adaptation, will play Johansson’s boss and chief of Public Security Section 9, Daisuke Aramaki, according to Variety. Although the film is still in pre-production, it’s already received backlash for the lack of Japanese actors involved with the project.
Ghost in the Shell was originally supposed to be released by Disney, but will now be distributed by Paramount Pictures. The film hits theaters March 31, 2017.
‘Ghost in the Shell’ adaptation casts Beat Takeshi in major role
