Paramount and DreamWorks just released the first photo from "Ghost in the Shell," a live-action adaptation of the Japanese animation. The image, showing Scarlett Johansson, was issued along with a press release announcing the start of production in Wellington, New Zealand. Scarlett is said to play Major in the film, which is being directed by Rupert Sanders.

Here's the synopsis:

"Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, 'Ghost in the Shell' follows the Major, a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic's advancements in cyber technology."

The rest of the cast includes Beat Takeshi Kitano, Juliette Binoche, Michael Pitt, Pilou Asbæk, Kaori Momoi, Chin Han, Lasarus Ratuere, Yutaka Izumihara, and Tuwanda Manyimo.

When Scarlett was announced as the lead for this film, many frustrated fans cried "whitewashing" -- leading to a Care2 petition with more than 65,000 signatures -- and those fans are still frustrated today. However, other fans are excited to see her in character on the big screen.

"Ghost in the Shell" started trending on Thursday, after the release of the photo and press release, and here are some reactions:


What are your thoughts on this? Will you see the movie? Paramount will release it in the U.S. on March 31, 2017.

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