DreamWorks has had its eye on the popular Japanese cyberpunk property Ghost in the Shell for some time now. Created by Masamune Shirow and first published as a manga (Japanese for "comic book") in 1989, Ghost in the Shell is a futuristic thriller that details the exploits of sexy cyborg Motoko Kusanagi and Section 9, the elite covert crime unit she leads. The original spawned two additional manga editions, three animated movie adaptations, three video games, and a long-running TV series.
DreamWorks' connection to the film began in 2004 when it released the second film, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. DreamWorks acquired the rights to adapt the property for an American audience in April 2008 and announced plans to produce a 3-D live-action movie. DreamWorks founder Steven Spielberg has admitted his love of the property and was instrumental in acquiring the rights.
Ghost in the Shell is one of my favorite stories. It's a genre that has arrived, and we enthusiastically welcome it to DreamWorks.
Since that 2008 announcement, there has been virtually no news about the project. Now, DreamWorks has announced that Laeta Kalogridis, the writer and executive producer of Martin Scorsese's new thriller, Shutter Island, will be writing the Ghost in the Shell screenplay, replacing original writer, Jamie Moss.