Movies

A New 'Ghost In The Shell' Anime Is Coming To Netflix In 2020

ghost in the shell anime
By Hoai-Tran Bui

While the rest of Hollywood is scrambling to adapt as many anime into live-action movies as possible, Netflix is starting to go the opposite route. Sure, they have to answer for that Death Note adaptation and possibly the upcoming live-action Cowboy Bebop series, but the streaming giant is getting some points with a new Ghost in the Shell anime series.

Netflix is developing a new Ghost in the Shell anime series titled Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 that is set to hit the streaming service in 2020 and features some anime heavy-hitters at the helm. And best yet — there's no Scarlett Johansson in sight.

Netflix announced that it is picking up Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045, which will be directed by Appleseed's Shinji Aramaki and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex's Kenji Kamiyama — two directors with sterling anime resumes, the latter especially. Stand Alone Complex was the Ghost in the Shell anime series that ran from 2002-2005 and earned heaps of accolades for the stunning animation and complex storylines. If anyone is qualified to helm a new Ghost in the Shell anime, it's Kamiyama, who has also been involved in three other Ghost in the Shell projects. This will be the second project he and Aramaki are teaming up on, the first of which is the equally anticipated Blade Runner anime.

Netflix didn't offer many details about Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 apart from a brief description that the anime series will be about the "desire to explore the true meaning of human consciousness intensifies." We're not sure if this will be a reboot or continuation, but it seems like it will star the series' main protagonist Major Motoko Kusanagi, who can be seen below in the art for the series by illustrator Ilya Kuvshinov.

While this art seems more like a fan art piece than actual concept art for the series (unless Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 is going for a much softer shoujo route than any past iterations), the prospect of a new Ghost in the Shell anime series is exciting. It will hopefully wash our memories of the Scarlett Johansson atrocity that was last year's Rupert Sanders movie and bring new fans into the series with Netflix's massive platform.

Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045 is the latest entry in Netflix's growing anime catalogue, which includes original series as well classics like Neon Genesis Evangelion. And with high-profile titles like Ghost in the Shell in its basket, Netflix may have gotten the leg up on Hulu in the constant battle for the anime streaming market.

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