Pacific Rim didn't do well in general because it's a horrendous movie with bad pacing, a weird story, a jarring tone, bad actors, unfortunate marketing, disappointing action and very dark visuals. I doubt a bankable star would've helped. I'm also not even sure if there are numbers that show whether there are really any bankable stars left (or if there ever were any).
First look at ScarJo as the Major in Ghost in the Shell
- Thread starter Blader
- Start date
- Status
Pacific Rim didn't do well in general because it's a horrendous movie with bad pacing, a weird story, a jarring tone, bad actors, unfortunate marketing, disappointing action and very dark visuals. I doubt a bankable star would've helped. I'm also not even sure if there are numbers that show whether there are really any bankable stars left (or if there ever were any).
The Elite
BOSS
Cast who are not Scarjo:
The cast of “GHOST IN THE SHELL” includes Beat Takeshi Kitano (“MERRY CHRISTMAS, MR. LAWRENCE,” “BATTLE ROYALE” series) as Daisuke Aramaki, Juliette Binoche (“THE ENGLISH PATIENT,” “CHOCOLAT”as Dr. Ouelet, Michael Pitt (“Hannibal,” “Boardwalk Empire”
Aramaki:
Dr. Oulet:
Kuze:
Batou:
Kaori Momoi (No idea who she is playing:
SECTION 9 MEMBERS:
Chin Han (Don't know who he is playing):
Danusia Samal
Lasarus Ratuere This guy looks like a better Batou than the guy they got:
Yutaka Izumihara
Tuwanda Manyimo
Oh, I won't. Doesn't stop me from complaining about the treatment of asian actors in american film business or the crappy adaptions of anime by Hollywood. This is but a part of two larger problems. This ain't the first anime that gets adapted to crap by people trying to make the source material more appealing to people who they think may not like the source material, this isn't the first role that could've gone to an asian actor taken by a white one.
killertofu
Member
Well thats just like, your opinion, man.
I'm surprised you didn't find some room to whine about 'PC' in this vacuous excuse of a forum post.
vinnygambini
Why are strippers at the U.N. bad when they're great at strip clubs???
That's a great supporting cast to be honest.
Depends - Tom Cruise still remains one of the most bankable stars in the business. He has a great track record. I do agree with the overall premise though, but like I mentioned, there are exceptions to the rule.
Massive Duck. C.M.
Banned
Same. It's a shame
Octavianus
Banned
Err I'm pretty sure this has more to do with people simply being fed up with how shit gets done than not seeing "the big picture nor the cogs that are involved in trying to make a franchise movie".
People understand it just fine but they want it to change.
I care about this particular ip and I'd rather have a low cost Indie adaptation or no movie at all over the shitty hackjob we're getting.
Who? Gee I don't know, maybe one of the dozens of asian actresses that never get a chance?
Everything else before the bolded is subjective, but even though the movie largely takes place in dark areas, it is still very bright and colorful. Either you saw this in a theater with bad projection or your TV needs to be recalibrated.
Damn. The role he was born to play.
Doc Holliday
SPOILER: Columbus finds America
You didn't even need to go that far, she was already in a sci fi movie inspired by anime.
SolidSnakex
Member
How long has Hollywood been trying to get a live action Akira off the ground? It seems like every few years you hear rumors bubble up about casting and directors/producers and then that all fades away for a new crop.
The Elite
BOSS
I think the only way you get an Asian lead with that cast is if you cast Batou with a big name star to be the front person for the film. That would have arguably been the better decision. As it is, I am fine with ScarJo. I personally really like her.
Not with that accent.
It would've had to be an Asian American actress, Motoko is not supposed to come off as a foreigner.
Regardless of casting choices, I have zero faith they will be able to capture the depth and complexity of the plot, and the philosophies behind them.
The being said, I will reserve judgement until reviews come out.
Also who the heck is the other woman on section 9? Did they gender-swap someone?
The being said, I will reserve judgement until reviews come out.
Also who the heck is the other woman on section 9? Did they gender-swap someone?
Hissing Sid
Member
Definately not doing it for me, at least from this one photo. Have to say that when I've watched the movie I've always imagined the character as Asian, so seeing a well known white actor in the role made my brain flip-flop and immediately go 'nah'.
Having only watched the Ghost in the Shell movie in Japanese with English subtitles, I'd just always assumed that the character was Asian. It never occurred to me that some peeps imagined her as white until I read some of the posts in this thread. Is this a common interpretation of the material?
Anyway, I'd prefer an Asian actor in the role.
Having only watched the Ghost in the Shell movie in Japanese with English subtitles, I'd just always assumed that the character was Asian. It never occurred to me that some peeps imagined her as white until I read some of the posts in this thread. Is this a common interpretation of the material?
Anyway, I'd prefer an Asian actor in the role.
You didn't even need to go that far, she was already in a sci fi movie inspired by anime.
Would this movie have done better if we had a "Scar Jo" in that role?
killertofu
Member
I'm pretty sure this is just another case of the vocal minority shouting their displeasure rather than the majority of America even knowing or caring that Ghost in the Shell is white washing. They'll go, "oh a movie with robot Scarlet Johansson, cool". And that's that.
Can you even name a dozen Asian American actresses working in Hollywood? Especially one to carry an expensive movie like this? Again, catch-22 situation.
I'm Asian. I work in production. I did my time in LA grabbing coffee for overpaid idiotic producers. I know how stupid Hollywood is. Do you know how happy it made me to find out that a lead actor on a CW show was Filipino? That's a fucking milestone. But I'm also realistic and I know that producers want asses in seats, so they're going to go for ScarJo. The movie is going to be terrible anyway.
CadetMahoney
Member
Would've done better in japan, at least.
SolidSnakex
Member
This is often times the exact reason people give for why a minority wasn't cast in a role that was made for them. If you're never given a chance then how are you supposed to ever get to a point where your name can carry movies? This is sorta what those tweets that MHWilliams are referring to. It seems hard enough for Asian actors to get the lead role in movies to begin with, and now you have a movie that was designed for them to have the lead role and it's given to someone else.
Besides, how many 100's of million did Hollywood spend trying to make Taylor Kitsch into Tom Cruise?
UnemployedVillain
Member
Or Sam Worthington? Or whatever flavor of the month white dude/girl comes out of nowhere. It's always a bullshit excuse. Hollywood is MORE than welcome to cast actors in big movies despite being unknown. If they're white
Vincent Alexander
Member
What?! By this account, I trust you wouldn't know good action if it came up to your face and slept with your mother!
vinnygambini
Why are strippers at the U.N. bad when they're great at strip clubs???
I think Zhang Ziyi would of done a great job in the role; Paramount & Dreamworks saw Lucy's box-office gross and gambled on replicating the success.
I'm just happy it's getting made.
I'm just happy it's getting made.
You didn't even need to go that far, she was already in a sci fi movie inspired by anime.
jebus, she fucking bad at that movie
RespectThySole
Member
Like ScarJo, but this isn't the right fit
MHWilliams
Member
The short answer is context. From here:
Changing a white character.
Changing an Asian character (in this case).
not psycho
Member
Heh, this is what I thought when I saw the picture.
Here's Ken Watanabe in the Clint Eastwood role of Unforgiven:
Kind of funny since Eastwood took the Toshiro Mifune role from Yojimbo.
The point is adaptations can be good. Fistful of Dollars is very, very good. Personally I would have cast an Asian in the lead role of GitS, but at the same time I like ScarJo and I think she could do a good job.
But don't make her Japanese and don't try to force her to look "the same" as previous incarnations of the character. If you're going to adapt it well, then you need to have a love for the source material and the creativity to put a new spin on it. That picture is worrisome in that regard. The rest of the cast is interesting though, which makes me feel a little better about the chances for it not to suck (still probably will).
Well, nothing about Roland is intrinsically white. King himself has even said the color of him doesn't matter.
I dunno how they're handling this GiTS adaption, but the original story is about Japanese people set in Japan, so...
There's also the fact that taking a Japanese property and adapting it could've been a chance for a group that doesn't often get to star in movies in America.
SuperStiltzkin
Member
Fair enough. Star Wars is a whole different monster that can afford to buck the trend. But point still stands that we wouldn't have gotten there without an ongoing conversation about sex and race and diversity. Voting with your wallet isn't enough.
I'm not sure what your argument is? Only complaint about the big fish roles? With so few Asian characters to begin with, EVERY role is a big fish role. And GitS is a big enough property to warrant the criticism regardless of quality of the end product. You even have Asian actors and actresses who also work in the industey criticizing the GitS casting. I'm sure they see the big picture as well as you do and understand just how hard it is to break the cycle. But it doesn't stop them from drawing more awareness to the issue.
You didn't even need to go that far, she was already in a sci fi movie inspired by anime.
So im guessing you didnt actually you know listen when she was on screen
Rinko' english is only alright but only when she's speaking slow, which isnt ideal when your main character has to bark orders
Mad Season
Banned
Awful looking
"Can I speak to the manager" haircut: the movie
~Devil Trigger~
In favor of setting Muslim women on fire
Only Tilda can replace Asians
This is the greatest injustice in the movie.
Yeah, I think that's where it can run into problems and what has me also worried about that pic.
Basically the difference between the Oldboy remake and Infernal Affairs/Departed
NightShift
Member
As long as it has the same imagery of the movies like in the original poster, I'm good.
Mr_Antimatter
Member
Purple hair doesn't work outside anime. She's probably just in casual cloths here, and not her section 9 gear.
lmao
- Status