new ghost in the shell movie

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New ghost in the shell movie reveals title, trailer, and release date.

A new Ghost in the Shell movie, set in the SAC universe, will compile Season 2 of the Netflix anime, adding new original content.

Fans of the anime classic Ghost in the Shell have something to look forward to this fall, as the legendary sci-fi cyberpunk franchise and current Netflix property is set to return to the big screen in November 2023 with a new movie.

As revealed in a recent post to the Ghost in the Shell: SAC 2045 official website , Major Motoko Kusanagi and her team at Public Security Section 9 will be making a return to the silver screen in the new film Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045: The Last Human . The film, which compiles the 12-episode second season of the Netflix animated series Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 , will premiere on November 23, 2023, in 30 select cinemas across Japan. Internationally, the movie will stream in its entirety on Netflix sometime thereafter. The movie also includes new, previously unseen content that will add precious details to the story of the anime's second season.

New Ghost In The Shell Movie Compiles The Second Season Of The Netflix Anime

Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki's Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 , which is the fourth animated series in the franchise, follows the continuing exploits of Major Kusanagi and Section 9. The film takes place in the alternate Stand Alone Complex (SAC) timeline that is different from the original 1995 Ghost in the Shell (GIS) movie world. The key difference is that the focus of SAC is more on Section 9 as a crime-fighting unit dealing with multiple criminal threats. In GIS the focus is on Kusanagi as an individual crime-fighter / hero trying to stop one criminal mastermind.

The 12-episode first season of Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 debuted on Netflix in 2020. The story picks up in 2045, 11 years after the events Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society . Kusanagi and her team deal with the reality of a "sustainable war" between China, Russia, the European Union, and the United States. Rather than using actual human soldiers, the four powers rely on artificial intelligence (AI) and technology-enhanced humans, known as "post-humans". Some of these post-humans begin acting on their own and taking advantage of the global war to benefit themselves. With their super-powered bodies and access to the latest in AI technology, post-humans are the most dangerous threat Kusanagi and her team have ever faced. The first season was condensed into the movie Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045: Sustainable War.

In the second season, which debuted in May 2022, the team has successfully been reinstated as a government unit. Kusanagi and Section 9 are now tasked with a deeper investigation of the post-human threat. While the new movie compiles the Second Season's episodes, Netflix and the Ghost in the Shell creators have also included new previously unseen content to increase its thematic cohesiveness and deliver a more dramatic effect.

Source: Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045

Ghost in the Shell: New Movie Gets Theatrical Releases Date and Details

Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 will jump 10 years from Stand Alone Complex in a brand new theatrical experience.

• Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045: The Last Human is a new cinematic installment of the esteemed cyberpunk saga, featuring unseen content.
• The movie compiles the second season of the Netflix anime series and delves deeper into the world dominated by post-humans.
• A meticulous and potent narrative, Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 appeals to avid franchise fans and cyberpunk lovers alike. Premiere on November 23, 2023.

This November, cyberpunk enthusiasts and anime aficionados have a reason to mark their calendars. Ghost in the Shell , the esteemed sci-fi cyberpunk saga now part of Netflix portfolio, is preparing for a riveting resurgence in theaters with a fresh cinematic instalment. Major Motoko Kusanagi and her elite team at Public Security Section 9 are gearing up for another mission in Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045: The Last Human . Scheduled for a premiere on November 23, 2023, in select cinemas across Japan, this film will not only compile the second season of the Netflix anime series, Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 , but will also feature new, unseen content, enhancing the narrative of the anime’s second season. For international fans, the entire movie will be made available on Netflix shortly after its Japanese release.

Directed by Kenji Kamiyama and Shinji Aramaki, Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 is the fourth animated series in this illustrious franchise. It explores the ongoing adventures of Major Kusanagi and Section 9 in the alternate Stand Alone Complex (SAC) timeline, a departure from the original 1995 Ghost in the Shell movie world. The SAC storyline shifts the focus towards Section 9 as a collective crime-fighting unit tackling multiple criminal threats, whereas the original 1995 movie spotlighted Kusanagi as a solitary hero battling a single criminal mastermind.

RELATED: Ghost in the Shell: One of Anime's Most Beloved Films Is Reborn On 4K Ultra HD in September

Beyond AI and Cybernetics: Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 Delves into a World Dominated by Post-Humans

The starting season of 'SAC_2045', which was made available on Netflix in 2020, is situated in 2045, ten years post the events of 'Stand Alone Complex'. The most powerful nations, namely China, Russia, the European Union, and the United States, have gone into a "sustainable war".

These nations have opted to utilize artificial intelligence and technologically enhanced humans, rather than deploying normal human soldiers. As some post-humans start pursuing their own agendas, exploiting the global conflict for personal gain, they emerge as the most formidable adversaries Kusanagi and her team have ever encountered. This storyline was encapsulated in the movie Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045: Sustainable War .

The second season, released in May 2022, sees Section 9 reinstated as a government entity, entrusted with a deeper investigation into the post-human menace. Although the upcoming movie will compile the episodes of the second season, Netflix and the creators of Ghost in the Shell have also incorporated new, unseen content to enhance the thematic consistency and dramatic impact of the narrative.

Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045: The Last Human extends beyond merely compiling the episodes of the second season; it is a meticulously crafted cinematic journey, augmented with never-before-seen content to deliver a more unified and potent narrative. Avid Ghost in the Shell franchise fans will definitely love Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 . Cyberpunk universe lovers should check this one out too. Prepare for a riveting journey into the world of Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 .

Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045: The Last Human will debut on November 23, 2023. Watch the trailer below:

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• Cast & Crew

Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie

• 1 hr 40 mins
• Action & Adventure, Science Fiction

After World War IV, a bomb kills a weapons dealer who is believed to be associated with 501 Organization. Motoko Kusanagi, a noted hacker is sent into investigate the incident.

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ANIME REVIEW: “Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie”

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Adapted from the manga by Masamune Shirow, Mamoru Oshii’s landmark feature Ghost in the Shell (1995) largely defined the cyberpunk genre–and influenced the Matrix films in the US. Although often stunningly beautiful, the  sequel Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (2004) failed to recapture the compelling vision of a corrupt, dystopic future. 

Writer-director Kenji Kamiyama, who would go on make the excellent Eden of the East , took over the property for the popular TV series Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002) and Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex 2nd Gig (2004). Kamiyama didn’t have the resources to continue the extravagant mixture of drawn and computer animation in the original film (which reportedly cost about $6 million—a very large budget at the time). But he created intriguing new stories that suited the characters and the setting.

The star of the original film, Major Motoko Kusanagi, suggested a cross between the Terminator and a Playboy centerfold. The Kusanagi of the TV series kept more of her clothes on, but retained her formidable fighting ability in both the real and cyber worlds. Her friendship with Batou, her cyborg second-in-command, allowed the filmmakers to explore her character in greater depth

Related Stories Asian-American Voice Actors Question Why White A-List Stars Are Still Voicing Anime Scarlett Johansson: ‘I’ve Made a Career Out of’ Attracting Controversy

Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (2015) looks and feels more like the Stand Alone Complex series than Oshii’s extravagant feature. The characters have been redesigned and simplified, with less attention paid to Major Kusanagi’s pneumatic figure.

But Major Kusanagi (voice by Elizabeth Maxwell) remains Major Kusanagi. The film opens with a hostage situation that requires her to swing into action, ably seconded by Batou (Christopher R. Sabat) and her usual crew of deadly misfits. She refers to the members of her squad as “Parts,” a backhanded compliment that suggests how well they function together.

This time, the Major and her team are working independently of Chief Aramaki, her usual boss: She’s receiving special funds from the son of the prime minister. The hostage crisis, followed by the assassination of the prime minister, yanks Kusanagi and company into a increasingly complex web of plots and counter-plots involving the manufacturers of a new generation of prosthetics and cyber-parts, the Major’s childhood in a strange hospital/orphanage and a corrupt American businessman. These criminals–and the terrorists they deploy–have assembled around a doppelganger of Major Kusanagi, the physical form of the computer virus Fire-Starter.

The plot of The New Movie feels needlessly complicated, yet curiously lacking in suspense, despite the many gun battles, explosions and CG dives into cyberspace. Directors Kazuchika Kise and Kazuya Nomura and screenwriter Tow Ubukata simply don’t have enough time in 100 minutes to bring together all the diverse elements in the their story. Characters and subplots come and go with little sense of urgency. Even the showdown between Major Kusanagi and Fire-Starter fails to generate the excitement it should.

The filmmakers also leave too many threads hanging: Have the bad guys found the bodies of Major Makoto’s parents? What is their significance? Does the purely data realm of the Third World actually exist? And if it does, does it offer cyborgs an afterlife?

Despite its flaws, Ghost In the Shell: The New Movie will probably please many of the fans who’ve made the property so popular. However, the upcoming live action version of Ghost In the Shell starring Scarlett Johansonn has already become the subject of controversy.

Major news outlets have published complaints from Asian actors about the inappropriateness of a Caucasian actress playing a Japanese character. Although many anime characters may not look Japanese to Western audiences, they are Japanese to Japanese audiences and the artists who created them. To many Japanese viewers (and anime purists), Johansonn as Major Kusanagi must sound as incongruous as Keanu Reeves in The Tale of the 47 Ronin .

Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie   Funimation: $34.98 2 discs, Blu-ray and DVD 

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Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie

2015, Sci-fi/Action, 1h 40m

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Ghost in the shell: the new movie   photos.

Major Motoko investigates the assassination of the prime minister.

Genre: Sci-fi, Action, Anime

Original Language: Japanese

Director: Kazuya Nomura , Kazuchika Kise

Producer: Justin Cook , Michael Harcourt

Writer: Tow Ubukata

Release Date (Streaming): Mar 2, 2017

Runtime: 1h 40m

Production Co: Production I.G.

Cast & Crew

Elizabeth Maxwell

Motoko Kusanagi Voice

John Swasey

Daisuke Aramaki Voice

Christopher Sabat

Batou Voice

Togusa Voice

Brandon Potter

Ishikawa Voice

Marcus D. Stimac

Saito Voice

Jason Douglas

Phil Parsons

Borma Voice

Logicoma Voice

Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

Kurtz Voice

Tsumugi Voice

Bradley Campbell

Robert Lee Voice

Trina Nishimura

Chris Voice

Kazuya Nomura

Kazuchika Kise

Tow Ubukata

Screenwriter

Justin Cook

Michael Harcourt

Gen Fukunaga

Executive Producer

Keigo Oyamada

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Ghost in the Shell

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Currently you are able to watch "Ghost in the Shell" streaming on Amazon Prime Video or for free with ads on Tubi TV, Freevee . It is also possible to rent "Ghost in the Shell" on Google Play Movies, YouTube, Amazon Video, Apple TV, Vudu, Microsoft Store, DIRECTV online and to download it on Amazon Video, Microsoft Store, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Vudu, DIRECTV, AMC on Demand .

In the year 2029, the barriers of our world have been broken down by the net and by cybernetics, but this brings new vulnerability to humans in the form of brain-hacking. When a highly-wanted hacker known as 'The Puppetmaster' begins involving them in politics, Section 9, a group of cybernetically enhanced cops, are called in to investigate and stop the Puppetmaster.

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Set in a futuristic Japan after the end of a brutal world war, science has advanced by leaps and bounds giving humanity the choice to prolong life and reduce suffering with the use of sophisticated cybernetics. With all of humanity linked into one system of minds and personalities known as ghosts, the biggest threat to civilization is the cyber terrorists capable of hijacking people’s bodies and memories.

When a ghost-infecting virus known as Fire-Starter begins spreading through the system resulting in the assassination of the Japanese Prime Minister, Major Motoko Kusanagi and her elite team of special operatives are called in to track down its source. As they delve deeper and deeper into their investigation, they uncover traces of government corruption and a shadowy broker that bears an all-too-familiar face.

When your target can be anywhere and look like anyone, the only choice you have is to trust your ghost, and hope you aren’t infected too.

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Ghost in the Shell films and series in chronological order

Arise, Stand Alone Complex and Oshii's dilogy are three different franchise. But the timeline and plot (exept for Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex Solid State Society (2006) ) of each of them allows you to watch these films and series in this chronological order

• Movies or TV
• IMDb Rating
• In Theaters
• Release Year

1. Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 1: Ghost Pain (2013)

TV-MA | 58 min | Animation, Action, Sci-Fi

In this prequel set one year after the fourth World War, cyborg and hacker extraordinaire Motoko Kusanagi from the military's 501st Secret Unit finds herself wrapped up in the investigation of a devastating bombing.

Directors: Masahiko Murata , Kazuchika Kise | Stars: Maaya Sakamoto , Ikkyû Jaku , Ken'ichirô Matsuda , Tarusuke Shingaki

Votes: 4,273

Alternate version of 1-5 Arise OVAs - Koukaku Kidoutai Arise: Alternative Architecture (2015)

2. Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 2: Ghost Whispers (2013)

TV-MA | 57 min | Animation, Action, Sci-Fi

Witness the formation of the legendary Public Security Section 9. When a clandestine organization hacks every car in the city, Kusanagi recruits a lethal team of cyber operatives to clamp down on the chaos and make the city safe again.

Directors: Atsushi Takeuchi , Kazuchika Kise | Stars: Maaya Sakamoto , Ikkyû Jaku , Ken'ichirô Matsuda , Tomoyuki Dan

Votes: 3,149

3. Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 3: Ghost Tears (2014)

TV-MA | 55 min | Animation, Action, Sci-Fi

Motoko and Batou work to try to stop a terrorist organization whose symbol is the Scylla. Meanwhile, Togusa investigates a murder of a man who possessed a prosthetic leg manufactured by the Mermaid's Leg corporation.

Director: Kazuchika Kise | Stars: Maaya Sakamoto , Ikkyû Jaku , Ken'ichirô Matsuda , Tarusuke Shingaki

Votes: 2,857

4. Ghost in the Shell: Arise - Border 4: Ghost Stands Alone (2014)

TV-MA | 59 min | Animation, Action, Sci-Fi

When the riot squad starts shooting citizens during the holiday season, the Major and her team must track down a terrorist hacker who operates under the name Fire-Starter.

Directors: Susumu Kudô , Kazuchika Kise | Stars: Maaya Sakamoto , Ikkyû Jaku , Ken'ichirô Matsuda , Tarusuke Shingaki

Votes: 2,279

6. Ghost in the Shell: The New Movie (2015)

TV-MA | 100 min | Animation, Action, Sci-Fi

Newport-City 2029: Major, an advanced female cyborg, is in charge of the anti-terrorism etc. unit reporting directly to the government. Taking out terrorists and freeing hostages at an embassy doesn't go smoothly. Major investigates why.

Directors: Kazuchika Kise , Kazuya Nomura | Stars: Maaya Sakamoto , Ken'ichirô Matsuda , Ikkyû Jaku , Kazuya Nakai

Votes: 4,048 | Gross: $0.10M

7. Ghost in the Shell (1995)

TV-MA | 83 min | Animation, Action, Crime

A cyborg policewoman and her partner hunt a mysterious and powerful hacker called the Puppet Master.

Director: Mamoru Oshii | Stars: Atsuko Tanaka , Iemasa Kayumi , Akio Ôtsuka , Kôichi Yamadera

Votes: 151,906 | Gross: $0.52M

Alternate 3D-CG version - Kôkaku kidôtai 2.0 (2008) . Live action film based on the same part of the manga - Ghost in the Shell (2017) . Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex Solid State Society (2006) also based on the the same part of the manga, but the year in the plot was changed from 2029 to 2034

8. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex (2002–2005)

TV-MA | 24 min | Animation, Action, Crime

The futuristic adventures of a female cyborg counter intelligence agent and her support team.

Stars: Shirô Saitô , Atsuko Tanaka , Osamu Saka , Mary Elizabeth McGlynn

Votes: 20,540

Season 1 recompilation - Kôkaku kidôtai: Stand Alone Complex - The Laughing Man (2005) . Season 2 recompilation - Kôkaku kidôtai: S.A.C. 2nd GIG - Individual eleven (2006)

9. Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence (I) (2004)

PG-13 | 100 min | Animation, Drama, Mystery

In the year 2032, Batô, a cyborg detective for the anti-terrorist unit Public Security Section 9, investigates the case of a female robot--one created solely for sexual pleasure--who slaughtered her owner.

Director: Mamoru Oshii | Stars: Akio Ôtsuka , Atsuko Tanaka , Tamio Ôki , Kôichi Yamadera

Votes: 39,727 | Gross: $1.04M

10. Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society (2006 TV Movie)

108 min | Animation, Action, Adventure

A.D. 2034. It has been two years since Motoko Kusanagi left Section 9. Togusa is now the new leader of the team, that has considerably increased its appointed personnel. The expanded new ... See full summary  »

Director: Kenji Kamiyama | Stars: Atsuko Tanaka , Osamu Saka , Akio Ôtsuka , Kôichi Yamadera

Votes: 7,382

Based on the the same part of the manga as Kôkaku kidôtai (1995) , but the year in the plot was changed from 2029 to 2034. Alternate 3D-CG version - Kôkaku kidôtai S.A.C. Solid State Society 3D (2011)

11. Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 (2020– )

TV-MA | 25 min | Animation, Action, Crime

Hired as a mercenary unit, the former members of Japan's elite Section 9 are faced with the sudden appearance of "Post-Human," a being with tremendous intelligence and physical capabilities.

Stars: Richard Epcar , Mary Elizabeth McGlynn , Melissa Fahn , Dave Wittenberg

Votes: 2,836

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Ghost in the Shell studio's epic new show confirms Crunchyroll release

Move over Godzilla, there's a new giant lizard in town.

Kaiju No. 8 , a highly anticipated anime series about giant monsters and the people who fight them, has found an international streaming home.

Anime service Crunchyroll confirmed at this year's New York Comic Con that the show would be available subtitled and dubbed on its platform weekly, after its broadcast in Japan.

The show takes place in a world plagued by massive monsters, aka Kaiju, and focuses on seemingly-hapless millennial Kafka Hibino.

According to Kaiju No. 8 's official description, Hibino finds himself employed by Monster Sweeper Inc, a company that specialises in cleaning up the aftermath of Kaiju battles.

Unfortunately, his quiet life is over after he accidentally gains the ability to transform into a giant creature and ends up enlisting in a much bigger fight.

Naoya Matsumoto's original manga has proved incredibly popular, with more than 11 million copies in global circulation.

The writer and illustrator was also on hand during Crunchyroll's panel at NYCC to share his thoughts on the upcoming adaptation, saying: "Hello from Japan to everyone attending New York Comic Con. I'm the author of Kaiju No. 8 , Naoya Matsumoto. It's a story about someone struggling in a harsh world without ever giving up, in the hopes of leading people into an even slightly brighter future.

"To anyone dealing with the complexities of reality that reads this manga, I hope it can help make your future a little brighter, too."

Earlier this year Production I.G. confirmed the show's principal cast, included Masaya Fukunishi ( Tokyo Revengers ) as Kafka Hibino, Wataru Katoh ( 86 ) as Reno Ichikawa, and Asami Seto ( Rising of the Shield Hero ) as Mina Ashiro.

The show does not have a confirmed release date, but Crunchyroll has said it will be available at some point in the spring 2024 anime season.

Ali has been covering TV and movies for more than four years, all while wrangling Digital Spy’s social media and video channels - for which he received a PPA 30 Under 30 award.  He specializes in writing about anime , LGBTQ+ representation, science fiction, and comic book adaptations.  Recently he's begun collecting Star Wars interviews like Infinity Stones and has spoken with The Mandalorian's Pedro Pascal, Andor showrunner Tony Gilroy and the creative team behind The Bad Batch. Dave Filoni, you're next.

.css-9shoo0:before{background-image:linear-gradient(to right,#51B3E0,#51B3E0 2.5rem,#E5ADAE 2.5rem,#E5ADAE 5rem,#E5E54F 5rem,#E5E54F 7.5rem,black 7.5rem,black);content:'';height:0.25rem;position:absolute;top:0;width:100%;} Anime

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Spooky Night: The Spirit of Halloween review – off-the-shelf family horror

Designed to burnish a US retail chain’s brand, this tame entertainment won’t scare children too much, but it should bother the rest of us

W hen is a Spirit Halloween store branding exercise not a Spirit Halloween store branding exercise? When it’s a film released in the UK, where Spirit Halloween stores just aren’t a thing. In the US (where this film was titled Spirit Halloween: The Movie), consumers are blessed with more than 1,500 of them, and this pre-teen Halloween yarn set in a store built over the final resting place of evil property developer Alex Windsor (Christopher Lloyd) presumably registers more immediately as an attempt to shift some All Hallows’ Eve merch.

As far as weird IP inspirations go, it’s not the worst, but it’s also far from the best. Suitable for pre-teens too young for genuine horror movies, it’s a safe watch for a family Halloween movie night, with one or two fairly creepy moments slotted in amidst the more hokey stuff. The notional plot sees a trio of best friends pondering their Halloween options now that one of their number has grown a couple of chest hairs and considers himself too old for traditional trick or treating. They opt for a night sneaking around a deserted costume store with a dark past.

Great plan, but unfortunately Windsor’s ghost is roaming about looking for souls to possess. Any Back to the Future/Addams Family fans excited to see Lloyd’s eccentric charisma back on the big screen may like to note that the vast majority of his performance is vocal: the various items he possesses are played by animatronics or guys in suits. (I’d hazard the production had maybe one session with Lloyd actually on set, which is over and done with in the pre-credits flashback.) The film does find time to build in a few nods to the greatest villain the man ever played – Judge Doom in Who Framed Roger Rabbit? – with little visual references to trip-hazard eyeballs, buzzsaws and mallets for hands.

Still, on this evidence, movies spun off from US retail outlets aren’t a trend to be encouraged: anyone currently in development on M&Ms World: The Movie, Ronald McDonald’s Big Day Out or The Starbucks Mysteries, please go back to the drawing board.

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