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DreamWorks Studios has acquired the rights to the Japanese cyberpunk manga Ghost in the Shell. Plans are afoot to adopt the sci-fi cop thriller as a live-action 3-D feature. Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Steven Paul of Seaside Entertainment are attached to produce and brought the project to the studio. Jamie Moss has been tapped to pen the adaptation. Avi Arad has produced a range of comic book adaptations in the past including the Spiderman, X-men and Fantastic Four franchisees along with movies such Ghost Rider and the upcoming Iron-man. Universal and Sony were also interested in “Ghost in the Shell,” but Steven Spielberg took personal interest in the property and helped the deal go through.

Previously three anime films: Ghost in the Shell, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Solid State Society; two anime television series — Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig have been adapted from the manga for the big and small screens.

Ghost in the Shell created by Masamune Shirow, first appeared in 1989 in the Young Magazine. It deals with the exploits of Motoko Kusanagi alias Major, a member of the covert operations section of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission, Section 9, which specializes in fighting technology-related crime. One of the significant aspects of the movies as well as the anime shows have been the efforts to grapple with the ever-widening reach of technology in human lives. It raises questions such as what really makes us human and puts us apart from artificial intelligence.

The first movie, directed by Mamoru Oshii was widely considered a genre masterpiece. It was an important influence on the Matrix movies.The second movie was also hypnotically beautiful but somewhat muddled in its storyline. This will be the first attempt to make a live-action version. It remains to be seen whether an American studio will be able to do justice to the layered story-lines and philosophical musings which have garnered the manga a cult following over the years.

(Source: Variety)