The director of the original Ghost in the Shell praises Scarlett Johansson in behind-the-scenes teaser

The live-action Ghost in the Shell movie already has one fan, apparently. Mamoru Oshii, director of the original Ghost in the Shell anime movies and writer for the Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV show, says in a new behind-the-scenes featurette that Scarlett Johansson has gone "above and beyond" his expectations. Check it out, and see some of the work that's gone into adapting this cyberpunk world:

There's a lot of the usual platitudes in this video. You know, the "our director is so smart" and "our actress is so great" style compliments that get thrown around before a movie comes out. But what I actually appreciate is that there are some shots that are almost 1:1 recreations of scenes from the anime. That doesn't mean the final product will be good or bad, but at least someone involved in this is paying attention to the source material.

Directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbaek, Michael Pitt, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Kaori Momoi, and Chin Han, Ghost in the Shell will be released in cinemas on March 31, 2017.

Seen something newsworthy? Tell us!

Image: Paramount

Sam Prell

Sam is a former News Editor here at GamesRadar. His expert words have appeared on many of the web's well-known gaming sites, including Joystiq, Penny Arcade, Destructoid, and G4 Media, among others. Sam has a serious soft spot for MOBAs, MMOs, and emo music. Forever a farm boy, forever a '90s kid.