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Sunday
25Oct2009

DreamWorks Hires Writer for 3-D 'Ghost in the Shell'

DateSunday, October 25, 2009 at 8:17PM
If you're keeping score, there are a couple live action versions of anime classics heading to theater. Keanu Reeves is developing Cowboy Bebop, Leonardo DiCaprio is working on a new Akira film, and Steven Spielberg last year worked on bringing Ghost in the Shell to DreamWorks. There hadn't been much movement on that last project ever since we found out it would (or at least could) happen.

But now DreamWorks has signed Laeta Kalogridis to write the adaptation for Ghost in the Shell, which the studio hopes will be a 3-D affair. Kalogridis is a mixed bag. On the one hand, a co-writing credit on Night Watch. On the other, Alexander and Pathfinder. Jamie Moss was the original writer hired for the project, although we don't know if Kalogridis is starting from scratch or incorporating ideas that Moss brought to the table.

We also have some news on the production team behind the remake. It will include former Marvel executive Avi Arad along with his son Ari and Seaside Entertainment's Steven Paul. There's no timetable yet for a production start or a release date, but this is still probably three years away.

The original Ghost in the Shell manga was published 20 years ago, and there were several iterations that followed, including the anime flick Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, released - by DreamWorks, incidentally - five years ago. By the time this one ramps up for its release we should know a little more about whether or not audiences embrace these movies on a large scale. Akira seems like it will be the one to arrive first, with Cowboy Bebop going through a complete re-write. And that's probably the best place to start, given the Leo connection.

AuthorColin Boyd | | in , | Print ArticlePrint Article | | CommentPost a Comment |

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