Opinion - Yes, Scarlett Johansson being cast in "Ghost in the Shell" is a bad idea

By: MithrandielNOTE: There is a screenshot featuring an animated nude female in this article. NSFWOriginally released in 1995, Ghost in the Shell stands among the most important anime films ever to make it to the United States. With its sophisticated plot, stunning animation and memorable soundtrack, Ghost in the Shell appealed to audiences previously unfamiliar with anime and sparked interest in the medium across a wide demographic.Central to the film, of course, is the protagonist: Motoko Kusanagi, also known as "The Major". A no-nonsense soldier who is more robot than human, she leads an assault team for Public Security Section 9, demonstrating technological and martial prowess throughout the film as she tracks down the mysterious "Puppet Master".With Ghost in the Shell, and to a greater extent, Motoko Kusanagi, having such a firm foothold in the hearts and minds of many anime fans, it's no surprise that the announcement of a Ghost in the Shell live-action movie had many fans on edge. After all, we know that live-action adaptations of anime tend to be disastrously bad. Still, we do live in an exciting time: Marvel continues to impress with more fantastical installments of their Avengers universe, Pacific Rim was a thrilling giant-robot action movie...we have the technology. We can do it! Right?Wrong.A few days ago a "first-look" was released of the upcoming Ghost in the Shell movie. Let's take a look at its central star:Right. Okay... *sigh*First off, let me say that I have nothing against Scarlett Johansson as an actress. I think she does great work as Black Widow, loved her in The Prestige, etc. etc. What follows is in no way an indictment of Ms. Johansson, but rather Lucy Bevan, or whoever was ultimately in charge of the casting.Before I arrived to my frustrated conclusion, I did my best to assume positive intent. There have been numerous changes to various cultural tales, adaptations that made their way to the silver screen just fine. Maybe Ghost in the Shell would shift to be more West-centric, based out of America using the more ambiguous title of "The Major". Maybe the fellow cast members are all American as a result... Nope. There are at least 5 other cast-members of Asian descent, which makes the decision to cast Kusanagi as a caucasian even more perplexing. It's not like there aren't perfectly good actresses who could take on this role. In fact, here are 6 perfectly good options.Then why? Well, call me a cynic, but I have a sneaking suspicion it has to do with how often Kusanagi seems to be without clothing:Claire Napier over at "Women Write About Comics" wrote a great piece on the nature of Kusanagi's body and female nudity in Ghost in the Shell. I would suggest giving at least the first segment a read. It ties in with my major theory, which is pretty simple: in a world where sex sells, Hollywood puts forward its idea of the "ideal woman". Sure, they could have cast a perfectly capable Japanese actress to play Kusanagi, but trailers suggesting that she might be running around scantily clad or undressed wouldn't have as much appeal as the possibility of seeing the Scarlett Johansson naked."Whoa. Hold on there." You say, raising your hands to the screen and pointing accusingly at me. I know. I can feel it. "The fact that you're assuming that people want to see Scarlett Johansson naked makes you part of the problem! She's a perfectly capable actress and that's why she was cast." To which I refer back to my earlier point: if it were a matter of capability, there are numerous, more ethnically accurate choices that could have been made.I understand. With a big-budget movie like this you want A-list actors to draw not only the audience, but major producers and financiers, in, and help the movie make a profit. As Ridley Scott put it: "I can't cast Mohammed so-and-so from from such-and-such. I'm just not going to get it [the movie] financed." (Article) It's disappointing that this mindset is still so prevalent in Hollywood, especially for an anime-based film that has a strong following. They know who they're making this movie for, and it's not for people who want to see Scarlett Johansson playing Kusanagi.Sadly, with the trajectory this movie is on, Ghost in the Shell appears to be headed for disaster. We'll see how it ends up, but I wouldn't be surprised if it's a total flop. If/when that happens, I hope Hollywood will keep that in mind the next time they want to stray so far from the cultural roots of their source material.What are your thoughts on the casting? Who would you have cast instead? Let us know in the comments!