Ghost in the Shell Original Cast To Dub Live-Action Film into Japanese

Twenty-two years after voicing the characters of Mamoru Oshii’s anime “Ghost in the Shell,” the original voice cast will now reunite to dub the new live-action film into Japanese, as reported by Kotaku.

Atsuko Tanaka, who voiced the original Major Motoko Kusanagi in the 1995 anime is returning to voice Scarlett Johansson’s character, The Major. The actress also voiced the lead character in the sequels “Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence” (2004) and “Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex” (2005).

Akio Otsuka will voice Batou as he did in the original anime and its sequels. The actor is also known for voicing Snake in the action/adventure video game series “Metal Gear.” Koichi Yamadera is joinning Tanaka and Otsuka as the voice of Togusa.

“It’s been a while since they’ve played these characters,” Oshii told the Japanese site Natalie.com. “I definitely want them to deliver performances they see fit. They’re all pros, so there’s nothing to worry about, and I can only say that this is something to look forward to.”

Last year, the casting of Johansson to play the lead in Rupert Sanders’ live-action adaptation of the classic Japanese anime series was met with controversy and backlash. Hiring a white actress to play a Japanese character seemed to critics and fans like another case of whitewashing. Casting the original voice actors to dub the film into Japanese is definitely a way to get in the good graces of fans of Masamune Shirow’s iconic franchise .

“Ghost in the Shell” hits theaters in the U.S. on March 31. So far, a release date for Japan has not been announced. Check out the latest trailer below.