You have all heard by now that Dreamwork’s live action version of Ghost in the Shell is progressing, and now has a writer attached.
Now Dane is one of those fellows who is basically against Hollywood remakes of Asian movies, so I get the feeling that unless it is a shot-by-shot remake, with an all Japanese cast, set in Japan, in Japanese , he won’t be happy. We will talk about it on the podcast, so stay tunned to the Anime Pacific Podcast page for Dane’s reaction to the Ghost in the Shell news.
I, on the other hand, am a bit excited about this. I have some faith that with Spielberg involved that it will be reasonably faithful to the original, and am hopeful that we can get a good movie out of this. Keep in mind that Spielberg is a fan of the movie.
What I would like is for it to be set in an Asian city. I don’t think it has to be Tokyo, remember that the movie is set in a generic “New Port City”, but it should be in Asia. It could be Hong Kong, Shanghai or Seoul. A city that looks like “the future”. That means: insane amounts of neon, huge crowds, busy open air markets, tall sky scrapers, and gleaming new infrastructure. But, I’ll make a post about the setting later.
The key point, and probably the most fun for speculation, is the cast. I would like to see an Asian woman cast as Major Motoko Kusanagi. But I am realistic. If this is going to be a $150 million picture, they are probably going to want to cast a big name for the lead role. So you might end up with a white, blond, Cate Blanchett type in the role. Dane would probably find that unforgivable, but I would let it slide if the rest of the movie comes together well, and if Dreamworks at least casts Asians (or better yet Japanese) in some of the other key roles.
So lets get onto the fun part! The speculation.
Who to cast as Major Motoko Kusanagi?
As I wrote above, I think casting an Asian women as Major Kusanagi is very important. Unfortunately, there aren’t exactly a huge number of well known Asian actresses in Hollywood. So maybe it is unrealistic, but I am going to give you some names, including a top-five, and why or why-not I think they should get the role.
Asians in Hollywood - Those who should get definitely screen tested:
1) Zhang Ziyi
My current favorite for the role.
She is right for the part - Young, fit, stunning in the looks department, can kick some serious ass, and Asian (okay not Japanese, but close enough for Hollywood).
My only worry is her English skills. But as I understand it, she has been taking English classes since Memoirs of a Geisha.
As for fame, like Maggie Q (#3 on the list) she is big in Asia. Obviously not a household name in North America, but there is some familiarity from Memoirs of a Geisha…
Another factor is her acting fee. With her fame in Asia her fee is now $5 million (at least according to an article from 2006). Now this is still less than half of what an A list female celebrity would charge. And for that you are getting one of the most famous actresses in China today. That means good box office in Asia.
2) Rinko Kikuchi
Good name recognition (the Oscar nomination definitely helps in that department) and she is Japanese!
Like Zhang Ziyi, my big concern would be her English. If you listen to her in interviews, her accent can be pretty painful to listen to
sometimes. (And I taught English in Japan for 5 years, so I heard all sorts). But maybe she can work on it some more with an accent coach. And she did say in a New York Times interview that she is trying to get an “east coast” accent.
However, unlike Zhang Ziyi and Maggie Q, I don’t think she has done any action roles. Also, she is a bit on the short side (only 5′5″). Now I have been trying to imagine her with her natural dark hair, unlike all the pictures of her I could find, but even so, for some reason I don’t think she “looks” right.
3) Maggie Q
Not a bad choice I think. A pretty big star in Hong Kong. Was in “Die Hard 4″ and the upcoming “King of Fighters” movie (which may actually be a strike against her unfortunately) but besides that, unfortunately pretty unknown in North America. Then again that is true with almost any Asian actress.
She could look the part with her hair done right. She has been in some semi-action roles, “Gen Y” cops for one She is from Hawaii, so obviously her English is not an issue like some of the other names here. One issue for some people (Dane for one) might be that she “isn’t Asian enough”, being that she is only half Vietnamese. But if you look at the 3rd picture above, I think she is fine.
4) Grace Park
Now say Dreamworks is going to do with movie with a non-blockbuster budget, and therefore can’t afford some of the bigger names on this list, how about Grace Park?
As you can see by all the pictures of her (that couldn’t help but post), I have a thing for Grace Park. I even watched A&E’s horrible “The Cleaner” and the CBC’s “The Border” just because she is in them. Yes, I am that big of a fan. And she grew up in Vancouver, so I can’t help but root for an (almost) local girl.
As you can see from the pictures, she isn’t afraid to do sexy, and if you have seen Battlestar Galactica you know she can pull off a more action oriented role.
All that being said, she isn’t exactly a household name, Battlestar Galactica’s Sharon being her biggest role. She would also be 37 or 38 the time the movie starts filming, which is getting to the tail end of the age range for any prospective Kusanagi actress.
And while she is undeniably very very hot, there is something that just isn’t quite right about her look for the Kusanagi role. Maybe its just my memories of her from Battlestar Galactica, but she seems to have more of tomboyish punch-you-in-the-face sexiness, rather then the more lithe, graceful, Zhang Ziyi look.
But as I said, I am a big fan, so she deserves a look.
5) Yunjin Kim
Probably one of the more recognizable Asian actresses from her Lost fame, she is a big star in Korea. And while she plays a conservative demure woman is Lost, she certainly is capable of playing a more sexy role.
However, she doesn’t have any action movie experience (as far as I know). And like Grace Park, by the time the movie starts filming she will be hitting 38. So perhaps pushing it a bit age wise for the role.
Even so, I think she deserves consideration. Especially if they were to consider a “B list” actress for the role.
Other Asian actresses
Okay, here are some other Asian actresses. If anyone has any other suggestions, post them in the comments, and I will add them here.
Gong Li - Very well known and a brilliant actress, sort of a Chinese Meryl Streep. But too old for the part (43 now), and not really the action type, even if she was in the Miami Vice movie.
Michelle Yeoh - Well known, and can kick ass, but well over the age limit (47 now).
Chiaki Kuriyama - She’s Japanese, was Gogo Yubari in Kill Bill, so perhaps a familiar face, and her age is right. But she doesn’t speak English at all. And she seems a bit on the short side.
Vicki Zhao Wei - Very big in China, but obviously unknown in North America, and I don’t know if she can speak English.
Karen Mok - A star in Hong Kong, but like Vicki Zhao, not really known elsewhere. She can speak English, but at 39 years of age she is getting towards the upper end of the age range for the Major.
Hollywood Actresses - The “A list”
Obviously despite my preferences, they may not use an Asian actress at all. We don’t know what the budget of the movie is going to be like, but if Dreamworks trying for a $150 million dollar blockbuster, then it would be completely understandable to me if they decided they had to go with an A list, well known actress. They might even have the money for some really big names. So here are some names that I have seen mentioned. Some are obvious, some are not.
Halle Berry - You know, 10 or even 5 years ago I would have named Berry as the non-Asian that could probably fit the Major Kusanagi role. She is smoking hot. She can act. She has action experience, being the only good thing about the 007 movie Die Another Day. So whats the problem? She is 43 now. Would be pushing 45 by the time filming started. I don’t know how young she is able to play realistically. But frankly, looking at this list, depending on how her body has held up (she had a kid a couple of years ago), I think she might be able to pull of the role better then any other non-Asian I have thought of so far.
- Angelina Jolie - A name that will definitely get mentioned. The go-to action girl since Tomb Raider. She is a bit… “Hollywood” for this role if you ask me. Also she is getting a bit old and has too many tattoos. She is playing Moms in her films now! So if you are going to go this route, you might as well get the “younger version” of Jolie - Megan Fox.
Megan Fox - Too Hollywood. Too pin-up girl like for my taste. Too much like a cheerleader. But I suppose that is why they are called actors.
Cate Blanchett - Yes, I saw her name mentioned. A real big Hollywood name obviously. Clearly A list, and clearly a real actress. Has the figure for the movie (I guess). Was in the latest Indiana Jones movie, so trying to branch out into the more Blockbuster films rather then the serious dramas (i.e . Elizabeth) . But a bit too old (she is 40 now). And even if she is game, I can’t really see her in a kick ass role. And other big names like, Reese Witherspoon, Drew Barrymore, Cameron Diaz, and Hilary Swank all have similar problems. But I suppose if Dreamworks was to go the “get-a-real-actress”, “get-a-big-Hollywood-name route”, I suppose you could do worse Cate Blanchett. On episode 81 of the podcast (link) Dane actually said he wouldn’t mind Cate Blanchett!
Hollywood - The almost “A list”
Actresses who general Sci-Fi fans will recognize, if not the general public. Casting one of these actresses might be forgivable, if they studio isn’t able to spend what it takes to get an A-list name.
Of course, Personally, I would take Zhang Ziyi over any of the following. And if you can afford these actresses, you can probably swing the $5 million or so it would take to get Zhang Ziyi.
Milla Jovovich - Do you have a mediocre sci-fi movie? Well Milla Jovovich seems to be the go-to girl if you do. Of all the non-Asian actresses she is probably the most plausible. But, I don’t think she has been in anything good since The Fifth Element. So, no thank you.
Natasha Henstridge - Made a name for herself in Species , and has other action cred. But her career has been on a downhill slid for years now.
Charlize Theron - Good body, as you could tell from Aeon Flux. But Aeon Flux was horrible! So, I am sorry but she must be banned from any other animation to live-action adaptations.
Hollywood - The “B list”
Here are a few names that I have seen bandied about in comment sections, here and elsewhere. Now, I had to have read these names elsewhere because none of them are well known household names.
For me, it makes no sense to cast any of the names in this section. If Dreamworks is worried about the Box Office and feels the need to cast a well known “A lister” like the ones I list above, that is one thing. But if you are going to cast an unknown actress, like any of the names below, why not try and be as faithful to the manga/movie and cast an Asian actress?
There must be at least one Asian actress out there ,who can act, kick ass, and look good doing it. The only reason not to would be some weird racial thing. But hasn’t the “Americans won’t watch non-white people in lead-roles” trope been disproved?
With that in mind, here are the names. If you have someone to add, please post in the comments section.
Lena Headey - She was the Queen in 300 and played Sara Conner in the now cancelled terminator TV series.
Natassia Malthe - Who? Yes, that’s what I asked too when I saw her name mentioned (see comments). But I take it she has had some minor roles sci-fi roles. And is hot as hell. Unfortunately, she is even more unknown that that Queen Goro chick above, if thats even possible.
Rhona Mitra She has had a couple of lead roles in some lower budget action movies (Doomsday, Underworld: Rise of the Lycans ) . So she has some action experience, and she certainly looks good. Hmm I say that a lot, but judging from that picture she certainly has a Motoko look about her.
Kristin Kreuk - Hmm Does she count as Asian? Dane would argue not, so I’ll put her in this section (Heck he thinks Maggie Q doesn’t count as Asian!). I haven’t seen it, but Dane HATED her in the Street Fighter movie. You can hear him talk about her in Episode 81 of our podcast. It might be irrational, but she is persona non grata for Dane.
I am sure I have left some people out, so please post your thoughts on who should play Motoko! I will add names to this list as people come up with them. Who knows, maybe someone from Dreamworks will read this. 
And again, keep your eye on the Anime Pacific Podcast website, since the latest episode has some discussion on this topic. It should be posted soon.
Alex
EDIT: Fixed up the HTML, and made the sections a bit clearer. I also found myself saying “She is unknown, so why not cast an unknown Asian” instead?” over and over again. Instead I just turned that into a whole section. Added Kristin Kreuk (thanks Kent), Rhona Mitra (thanks Phillip), and Vicki Zhao Wei (thanks Stephen) as recommend in the comments section.
It’s what we had long predicted: ADV Films shuts down. And why shouldn’t it? As Justin Sevakis stated, the street price of Anime is zero. Zilch. Why would someone pay for an outdated DVD, when a free 720p high definition fansub is available online? Me and Alex have both stated that we’d happily shell out a wad of cash to grab our favorite Anime’s on Blu-Ray, in a flash. 1080p Project A-Ko? Yes please! 720p torrent or a region coded DVD that technically should be unplayable in my region? Not a difficult decision.
Crunchyroll may be on the right track, but as it stands right now…
Region locked file that I can’t play or torrent?
Even easier decision.
Why, yes sir, Anime-Pacific has been updated. Thank you for asking.
The Star Crossed Anime Blog has a great post on the top anime shows of the summer.
Since, unlike Dane, I don’t follow the Anime world on a daily basis, I find a post like this one very useful. I probably get the “must-watch-anime” bug every couple of months. At which time, ill try out a couple of different shows. I usually ask Dane, or take a look at the Star Crossed Anime blog for a recommendation. I tend to bail pretty quickly if a show doesn’t grab me right away. But if it does, I’ll plow right through a season within a couple of days.
So now I have the bug. I asked Dane for a recommendation. He replied (I am sure he won’t mind me posting this):
Right off the bat, I’d recommend ” Baccano!” it’s mature, adult and only thirteen episodes long. It’s got rave reviews from people like ourselves who appreciate more mature, adult titles.
To be totally honest, stuff Dane recommends me tends to be hit or miss (God what was that horrible Japanese movie we saw in Hong Kong together that you loved Dane?), but ill always give them a go since he obviously watches a lot more Anime than I do. However, every season the Star Crossed Anime Blog puts together a great round-up of the new shows, which gives the casual fan an idea on what is out there to see.
So, thanks to Dane and the Star Crossed blog post this is what ill be checking out next.
1) Baccano! - Dane recommend this to me, so it is either great(!), or its horrible! The intersecting plots and the historical angle intreguge me, so here’s hoping. Plus, to be fair, I think Dane has gotten to know my tastes a bit better and has been giving me better recommendations lately.
Recommendations like this one:
2) Spice and Wolf - Season 2. Dane pointed this show out to me last year after its first season. Definitely a good Dane recommendation.
3) Tokyo Magnitude 8.0 + Shangri-La. I’ll check these two out on the strength of their Star Crossed ratings.
Of course, I am eagerly awaiting Darker than Black season 2, coming this fall!
I’ll let you readers know how my viewing adventures work out..
Alex
This is probably old news for most of you, but since I am at the cottage with spotty internet, this was a HUGE find for me…
more Darker than Black coming our way this fall!
This two month old news has me…… very excited! (eh?) (imagine an Alex-doing-Dane-doing-Alex voice impression for that last bit).
Darker than Black is definitely my favorite Anime of the last several years, as I mentioned several times on the Anime Pacific podcast.
Contractors, Hell Gates, double lives, weird terminology, love triangles (sort of… Hei-Li-Misaki, but Misaki is trying to arrest Hei, and is interested in Li, but Li and Hei are the same person). It doesn’t get much better than this. I can’t wait.
Alex
I was pleasantly surprised by the ABC docu-drama Earth 2100 last night.
It is basically story of an old women in the year 2100, born in 2009, looking back on her life.
Her narrative is broken up by interviews with scientists and thinkers (like James Howard Kunstler who I am a fan of).
But from this blogs perspective, an interesting aspect is the fact that story of the women is told using anime! Or at least a “motion graphic novel” technique. Just take a look at the pictures below to give you an idea.
This had to be a first for American television. Animation used in a serious drama in prime time. This is a must see! 4 stars!
It hasn’t appeared on the usual torrent sites unfortunately. I don’t think ABC did a very good job in promoting it.
Alex
P.S. With Dane up to his neck in Diapers, and summer fast approaching (which means Dane heads back to Australia), getting another show out any time soon is looking unlikely. So everyone will have to made due with blog posts for now.
Virtually unknown in the English world, (though quite beloved in the French) Combat Mecha Xabungle is a rather interesting Mecha Anime hailing from 1982. Some of you might recognize Xabungle from the Super Robot Wars series. It’s currently being subbed by AXSUS. Do check it out, it’s worth a look!
They are hosting the episodes on Megaturdupload but there’s a batch torrent for the first 10 episodes, desperately needing some seeders. Help sustain the retro-anime love!
Grab the torrent, here.
There is a live action version of Blood the Last Vampire coming out! I have a copy of the anime movie, but I haven’t had chance to see it yet.
Take a look at the new trailer:
Looks like it is set in Japan, with Japanese actors (but speaking English). Not, set in New York or something (like the live action Akira), and no blond haired American chick playing the lead. This has been topic that Dane and I have discussed on the show many times before. So, here is the big test. How will a movie do in a North American release with no big name Hollywood stars? Will it be a hit or more importantly, turn a profit? Now they do seem to be speaking English, but they speak English in the Anime. Thoughts?
Alex
Not bad eh? Which came first, the picture or the art? If the art, good job finding such a dead-on location for the picture. In any case I think we may have a new best picture ever!
This picture (click here) may have inspired me to start watching Bleach.
So, what do you think? Is it better than the current champ:
Alex
Having discovered the already kickass-i-ness of Gold Lightan through “Tatsunoko VS Capcom” imagine my jubilation when I discovered this delightful D.I.Y. paper craft Gold Lightan.
Papercraft is quite a phenomenom in Asia. During Taiwan’s annual papercraft exhibition, self made papercrafts are created with finesse, precision and attention to detail that would make Da Vinci crawl under a table and curl up in fetal position.
We applaud these artists; Doubly so for using their hands, which are desperately needed somewhere else. What? You think someone can make something like that and have time for a girlfriend?…
For those of you who might not have the patience to fold out immaculately detailed World War II vehicles, try Gold Lightan!
Not recommended for people with pacemakers, Warns Wikipedia: “His trademark hand stab move of reaching into the heart of the enemy to grab the heart energy device makes him a leader and finisher in battle.”
Download the papercraft pack, here.
