Ghost in the Shell Lands Clint Mansell as Composer

Following the world premiere of the first official trailer for the upcoming live-action adaptation of the seminal anime/manga of the same name, die-hard fans and newcomers alike are probably poring over all of the assembled footage from Ghost in the Shell. Directed by Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) and starring Scarlett Johansson (Captain America: Civil War), the new movie – a loose live-action remake of Japanese animator Mamoru Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell (1995) – has been the center of intense debate and speculation for some time now.

Despite the fact that many fans have decried the fact that the lead role went to a white actress, Sanders has openly defended casting Johansson in the lead role of Major (Kusanagi), based on her previous body of work. The first two minutes of Sanders’ Ghost in the Shell tastefully recreate the opening sequence from Oshii’s 1995 film, and manga creator Masamune Shirow has been on set to provide creative guidance and praised the work that has already been done on the live-action Ghost in the Shell. The latest update on the project reveals that another notable talent is working behind the scenes on the movie.

As revealed at the Ghost in the Shell trailer premiere event this past weekend in Tokyo, composer Clint Mansell will be lending his talents to writing the original score for Sander’s Ghost in the Shell. Mansell is an English musician, composer, and former lead singer of the band Pop Will Eat Itself. He is most well known for his work on Darren Aronofsky’s films, most notably including Pi and Requiem for a Dream. More recently, Mansell provided the original score for this past summer’s indie hit High-Rise.


Knowing that a talent as inimitable as Mansell will be joining the cast and crew of Ghost in the Shell should offer potential viewers unfamiliar with the original property more reason to see Sanders’ movie when it finally reaches theaters come March 2017 – and may further help to assuage the concerns that some longtime GitS fans have. Oshii’s animated 1995 film may always remain the preferred version of Ghost in the Shell for many fans, but with Mansell in place as the lead composer, Sanders’ version might not be fare all that badly in comparison.

It remains to be seen how warmly general audiences take to the live-action Ghost in the Shell early next year, but based on everything that has been revealed so far, the film should be a feast for the eyes (if nothing else). Oshii and Shirow’s past work on the franchise will be the standard to meet when it comes to bringing the property to the big screen yet again – and with any luck, Johansson and Sanders (along with their collaborators like Mansell) will see the challenge.

KEY RELEASE DATES
Ghost in the Shell release date: Mar 31, 2017