Scarlett Johansson's Ghost In The Shell Lands In Casting Controversy
Scarlett Johansson's latest sci-fi film Ghost In The Shell attracts huge controversy over race and ethnicity.
News
oi-Monojit
By Monojit Mandal
Scarlett
Johansson's
latest
live-action
adaptation
of
Japanese
animated
piece
titled
Ghost
in
the
Shell,
lands
in
a
huge
controversy
over
race
and
ethnicity,
due
to
its
all-white
casting.
Media
Action
Network
for
Asian
Americans,
in
short
(MANAA)
has
come
out
lashing
at
the
lead
casting
of
the
film
and
termed
it
as
another
instance
of
"Hollywood
Whitewashing" as
the
characters
involved
in
the
film
was
of
Asian
Origin.
Talking
about
the
criticism,
actress
Scarlett
Johansson
said,
"I
think
this
character
is
living
a
unique
experience,
in
that
she
is
a
human
brain
in
an
entirely
machinate
body."
"She's
essentially
identity-less.
...
I
would
never
attempt
to
play
a
person
of
a
different
race,
obviously.
Hopefully,
any
question
that
comes
up
of
my
casting
will
...
be
answered
by
audiences
when
they
see
the
film."
Scarlett
Johansson
stated
further.
However,
Robert
Chan
the
MANAA
President
didn't
look
much
convinced
by
the
statement
issued
by
Johansson
and
said
that
it
is
quite
unfortunate
that
even
Japanese
characters
are
being
played
by
American
actors
and
actresses.
"Apparently,
in
Hollywood,
Japanese
people
can't
play
Japanese
people
anymore,"
said
Robert
Chan.
"There's
no
reason
why
either
Motoku
or
Hideo
could
not
have
been
portrayed
by
Japanese
or
Asian
actors
instead
of
Scarlett
Johansson
and
Michael
Pitt.
We
don't
even
get
to
see
what
they
looked
like
in
their
original
human
identities
-
a
further
whitewash."
Chan
explained.