Ghost In The Shell, according recently to Scarlett Johansson it’s expected to begin production in early 2016. However, it looks like the script will be getting tweaked by yet another writer before production begins.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Dreamworks has hired Straight Outta Compton screenwriter to Jonathan Herman to overhaul the existing script for director Rupert Sanders. No word how extensive that’ll be as the trade also includes an updated synopsis of the film. Other writers on the project include William Wheeler, Jamie Moss, and Laeta Kalogridis.
In the film, Scarlett Johansson stars as a special ops cyborg who leads an elite task force called Section 9 for Hanka Robotics. Section 9 is devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, led by The Laughing Man, whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka’s advancements in cyber technology.
They also report that production will indeed happen in the first quarter of 2016, with production headed to New Zealand. I’ll be curious if Weta will be heavily involved in the project, as the production stages and effects/set crews would likely be coming from that company, if shot in the country. Weta Workshop being the driving force behind sci-fi films such as Avatar, District 9, Elysium, Chappie, Edge of Tomorrow, Mad Max: Fury Road and potentially Neill Blomkamp’s Alien 5.
My hope is that Weta Workshop will be the ones handling the prop and sets on the film, with possibly Weta Digital handling the effects.
Ghost In The Shell has the release date of March 31st, 2017.
SOURCE: HOLLYWOOD REPORTER