In a few months, we’ll finally get to see the live-action version of the iconic ‘Ghost in the Shell‘ that has been the center of controversy ever since they cast Scarlett Johansson in the lead role. But amidst all the frustration and debate surrounding that production, there is one shining ray of light to come out of this whole situation: The original anime is heading back to theaters.
Lionsgate and Funimation will be bringing Mamoru Oshii‘s seminal anime adaptation of Masamune Shirow manga series to select theaters in the United States for a special two-night engagement with two different ways to watch. On February 7th, fans will be able to see the subtitled version of the film. Then on the 8th, you’ll have the option to see the English dubbed version. On bringing the movie back to theaters, Funimation founder and CEO Gen Fukunaga had this to say:
“We’re excited to be partnering with Lionsgate to bring the original ‘Ghost in the Shell’ movie back to U.S. theaters. ‘Ghost in the Shell’ is truly a seminal work in anime cinema and it helped firmly establish a market for the genre with U.S. movie audiences.”
Unfortunately, ‘Ghost in the Shell’ will only be in 110 theaters around the country participating. To find the closest theater to you, be sure to head to the Funimation website. But for everyone else, Mondo is releasing a deluxe collector’s edition Blu-ray of the film on March 14th, which is still plenty of time to check out the original before the new version is released.
Are you excited to see ‘Ghost in the Shell’ back on the big screen ahead of the new version? Let us know if you’ll be checking it out in the comments.
Rupert Sanders’ ‘Ghost in the Shell’ starring Scarlett Johansson, Pilou Asbaek, Michael Pitt, Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Kaori Momoi, Danusia Samal, Yutaka Izumihara, Tuwanda Manyimo, and Chin Han hits theaters on March 31, 2017.
Despite being a “professional writer”, Ben likes run-on sentences far too much. For more of his attempts at being funny and the occasional insightful thought, follow him on Twitter and Instagram.
