Margot Robbie Could Lead the Live-Action ‘Ghost in the Shell’ Remake
Paramount Pictures
Margot Robbie made audiences know her name in a big way last year as Jordan Belfort’s second, more glamorous (sorry, Cristin Milioti) and gloriously assertive Brooklynite, lingerie-designing wife in The Wolf of Wall Street. Since then, she has been racking up the lead roles. It doesn’t take much more than a nod from Martin Scorsese to let everyone know you’re alright.
The Australian actress has a full roster of upcoming projects: she stars opposite Will Smith in the rom-com caper Focus, will appear alongside Michelle Williams and Kristin Scott Thomas in the French WWII flick Suite Française, is exploring a post-apocalyptic landscape with Chris Pine and Chiwetel Ejiofor in Z for Zachariah and swinging onto the big screen as the next Jane to Alexander Skarsgard’s Tarzan.
Robbie clearly hasn’t pegged herself down as being a specific kind of actress, and she’s furthering that perception by entering early talks to star in a live-action adaptation of the classic manga “Ghost in the Shell.” DreamWorks will remake the 1995 anime version directed by Mamoru Oshii, something Hollywood has been attempting for the last 20 years, with William Wheeler (The Hoax) penning the script Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) directing. If all works out, this could be her first solo venture.
“Ghost in the Shell” is about a society in the near future where individuals have cyberbrains and computer technology is highly advanced – and highly integrated into daily life. The heroine of the tale is Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg with full body prothesis after a childhood trauma. Though her brain and the system that houses it is a miracle of technology, it’s also susceptible to hacker attacks. She’s strong-willed and brilliant, and the nastiest hackers want a piece of her.
The anime film centers on the character searching for one of those hackers, called the Puppet Master. It’s unclear if the live-action version will follow the same plot or tackle a new story from the manga, but either way it’s going to be exciting to see Motoko in the flesh – and brain. Robbie is gifted, and when she danced with the devil (Leonardo DiCaprio doing his nastiest disgruntled spoiled rich husband routine in WOWS), she came out looking even more badass, not even a hair out of place!
Robbie was robbed when it came to awards season, and it’s just a testament to her chops that she is finally in talks for such a large role carrying her own blockbuster. If anyone can do it, and do it with gallons of spitfire, they’ve got the right woman for the job.
