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After years of controversy, the Scarlett Johansson-starring film adaptation of beloved Japanese manga Ghost in the Shell hit theaters last weekend, and it did not perform as well as studio executives had hoped. The flick grossed an underwhelming $19 million, which was seemingly unwelcome news next to its $110 million budget.
“We had hopes for better results domestically. I think the conversation regarding casting impacted the reviews,” said Paramount domestic distribution chief Kyle Davies. “You’ve got a movie that is very important to the fanboys since it’s based on a Japanese anime movie,” he told CBC news. “So you’re always trying to thread that needle between honoring the source material and make a movie for a mass audience. That’s challenging, but clearly the reviews didn’t help.”
Critical response to the film has also been disappointing; Ghost in the Shell currently has a 45% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
The continual backlash surrounding Johansson’s casting plays into a larger conversation about the current issue of whitewashing in Hollywood, one that has again recently come to light in responses to Doctor Strange and Marvel’s Iron Fist. The Hollywood Reporter recently invited Japanese actresses to discuss this phenomenon and break down Ghost in the Shell, and deconstruct they did: “I’m curious, what is it going to tell the producers, if it doesn’t do as well on opening weekend, what are the risks that can maybe be taken in the future?” asked actress Traci Kato-Kiriyama.
Kato-Kiriyama is definitely on to something; it seems like the people have spoken. Perhaps the critical and financial performances of these kinds of films and television shows will start sending a bigger message to Hollywood – that audiences are ready to see Asian actors at the helm of these productions.
