After a controversial start, “The Ghost in the Shell” teaser trailers are finally here.
On Wednesday, Paramount Pictures and Dreamworks released five short clips for the upcoming movie, showing Scarlett Johansson and the rest of the cast in various dimly lit scenarios against a backdrop of suspenseful music.
Johansson’s casting came under fire earlier this year after the first photos of her in character as Major were released in April. Fans were upset that the actress, who is white, was cast as the protagonist in the film, which is based on a Japanese anime series, and that her character’s name would be simply “Major” instead of Major Motoko Kusanagi.
Prominent Asian-American actresses Constance Wu and Ming-Na Wen spoke out against the whitewashing of yet another Asian character. Others launched a Care2 petition called “DreamWorks: Stop Whitewashing Asian Characters!”
Producer Steven Paul seemed unbothered by the controversy, however; he told News and Promotions in June that audiences will be “really happy” with the final product.
“I don’t think it was just a Japanese story. ‘Ghost in the Shell’ was a very international story, and it wasn’t just focused on Japanese; it was supposed to be an entire world,” Paul said. “That’s why I say the international approach is, I think, the right approach to it.”
“Ghost in the Shell” will open in theaters on March 31. Watch the rest of the teasers below: