After years of development hell, The Ghost in the Shell feature film is finally done and set to release at the end of march. While the film has faced a few backlash from its choice in casting, the film has gained a dedicated follower of fans that are looking forward to this film. This can definitely be seen from its fan event that was held earlier this month to promote the film.
Ghost in the Shell is a long running anime franchise that started with the 1990 manga by Masamune Shirow and made popular internationally with the animated film by Momoru Oshii. The story varies with each new iteration, but at the core, the franchise tells the story of human turned cyborg Motoko Kusanagi( AKA Major) leading a spec ops organization known as Section 9. The franchise is known by fans for its philosophical and psychological themes of technology and transhumanism.
The film, directed by Rupert Sanders(Snow White and the Huntsman) stars Scarlett Johansan(Avengers) as the Major in here first year leading the Section 9 team where she comes face to face with a mysterious figure that seems to know more about here past than she does.
To promote the film further, Paramount and IMAX held a fan event across several theaters in the US that offered fans an exclusive first look at the film. The show started at 7, but fans were already forming a long line outside the theater an hour early as it was first come first serve. But they didn't have to wait long, as viewers were let in early to admire the concept art and props that were displayed in front of the theater before the screening began. Posters were also given from the film such as the infamous robot Geisha from the first trailer and the even more infamous Batou cybernetic eyes.
By the time everyone were seated in the massive IMAX theater the screening was finally about to start but not before a surprise appearance by Rupert Sanders who told us a little bit about how he got the job and how he use various iterations of the franchise to compose an original story for the film. The screening finally began with the first 12 minutes of the film followed by a short trailer. Not to give too much about the preview away, but if you are already familiar with the scene featuring the robot geisha’s, the you already saw a good chunk of the preview Nonetheless, it was a fun and action packed scene to watch, especially in IMAX.. The preview wasn’t the end of this event though, as several fans who exited the theater were able to meet the Sanders and some even able to get a photo or autograph.
All in all, the event was a fun experience with fun gifts and fun surprises. Having a event for a film with such a niche audience alone was especially fun and being able to see several fans of different demographics, young and old is what make going to these events the most fun.
Ghost in the Shell, the live action film adaptation of the long running anime franchises, debuts March 31.
