document_title: Friday Night Lights (season 5)

question_text: when does tim riggins come back in season 5

text: Friday Night Lights (season 5)

text: Cast[edit]

text: Main cast[edit]

text:
Kyle Chandler as Eric Taylor
Connie Britton as Tami Taylor
Aimee Teegarden as Julie Taylor
Michael B. Jordan as Vince Howard
Matt Lauria as Luke Cafferty
Jurnee Smollett as Jess Merriweather
Madison Burge as Becky Sproles
Grey Damon as Hastings Ruckle

text: Recurring cast[edit]

text:
Brad Leland as Buddy Garrity
LaMarcus Tinker as Dallas Tinker
Taylor Kitsch as Tim Riggins
Scott Porter as Jason Street
Joey Truty as Buddy Garrity Jr.
Zach Gilford as Matt Saracen
Emily Rios as Epyck Sanders
Gil McKinney as Derek Bishop
Jesse Plemons as Landry Clarke
Derek Phillips as Billy Riggins
Stacey Oristano as Mindy Collette
Cress Williams as Ornette Howard
Angela Rawna as Regina Howard
Adrianne Palicki as Tyra Collette
Dana Wheeler-Nicholson as Angela Collette
Louanne Stephens as Lorraine Saracen
Denise Williamson as Maura Friedman

text: Production[edit]

text: The season was produced by Brian Grazer's Imagine Television company, Peter Berg's Film 44 company and Universal Media Studios and filmed in Pflugerville, Texas.

text: Fictional game results[edit]

text:
Fictional game results

Opponent

Result

Score

Record

Episode #

Episode

Regular season

Croft Cowboys
Win
29–28[a]
1–0
64
"Expectations"

Laribee Lions
Win
31–24[b]
2–0
65 / 66
"On the Outside Looking In" / "The Right Hand of the Father"

Royal Rock Dragons
Win
34–28
3–0
66
"The Right Hand of the Father"

South King Rangers
Win
38–17
4–0
68
"Kingdom"

South Milbank Rattlers
Win
28–10[c]
5–0
69
"Swerve"

West Dillon Panthers
Win
37–7
6–0
70
"Perfect Record"

West Cambria Mustangs
Loss
17–28[d]
6–1
72
"Gut Check"

Fort Hood Cougars
Win
19–17
7–1
72
"Gut Check"

Northfield Cubs
Win
Unknown[e]
8–1
73
"Don't Go"

Area playoffs

West Cambria Mustangs
Win
38–6
9–1
74
"The March"

Regional playoffs

Bellemeade
Win
30–14
10–1
74
"The March"

State quarter-finals

Preston Pirates
Win
13-7
11–1
74
"The March"

State semi-finals

Arnett-Mead Tigers
Win
15–13
12–1
74
"The March"

State championship

Hudgins Hawks
Win
27–26[f]
13–1
76
"Always"

text:
a  The final score was clearly 29–28 at the end of the episode "Expectations", but at the beginning of the episode "The Right Hand of the Father", the Cowboys game ball reads 22–21.
b  The game was played toward the end of the episode "On the Outside Looking In", but no game footage was shown. The final score was printed on a game ball at Buddy's Bar & Grill at the beginning of the episode "The Right Hand of the Father".
c  The game was never shown, but Buddy Garrity announced the score before putting the game ball up at Buddy's Bar & Grill.
d  The final score was shown on the scoreboard, and game footage was shown in flashbacks.
e  The final score was never mentioned.
f  The final score was never mentioned, but the epilogue shows Vince and other team members with a championship ring, and the Lions were down by five points with only three seconds left.

text: Episodes[edit]

text:
No.overallNo. inseasonTitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date641"Expectations"Michael WaxmanDavid HudginsOctober 27, 2010 (2010-10-27) (DirectTV)April 15, 2011 (2011-04-15) (NBC)
Coach Taylor tempers high expectations for East Dillon's impending season as Tami becomes frustrated in her new job. Vince and Luke work to recruit a new player for the Lions' squad and Dillon bids farewell to two alumni as they prepare to leave for college.
652"On the Outside Looking In"Michael WaxmanKerry EhrinNovember 3, 2010 (2010-11-03) (DirectTV)April 22, 2011 (2011-04-22) (NBC)
Eric realizes that not everyone is satisfied by the Lions' performance in the first game. Vince receives unexpected benefits as a football player. Luke's aggression has repercussions.
663"The Right Hand of the Father"David BoydPatrick Massett & John ZinmanNovember 10, 2010 (2010-11-10) (DirectTV)April 29, 2011 (2011-04-29) (NBC)
Someone from Vince's past resurfaces. Julie connects with a faculty member. Eric tries to instill discipline in the team. Buddy is troubled after learning something about his son.
674"Keep Looking"Todd McMullenBridget CarpenterNovember 17, 2010 (2010-11-17) (DirectTV)May 6, 2011 (2011-05-06) (NBC)
Coach is forced to play mediator as tensions erupt in the locker room. Luke gets recruited. Buddy deals with the trials and tribulations of fatherhood. Tami deals with a troubled student. The Lions welcome a new player.
685"Kingdom"Patrick NorrisRolin JonesDecember 1, 2010 (2010-12-01) (DirectTV)May 13, 2011 (2011-05-13) (NBC)
Coach discusses recruitment regulations. The Lions take a road trip. East Dillon's four stars make a pact. Julie's relationship becomes more complicated.
696"Swerve"Jonas PateRon FitzgeraldDecember 8, 2010 (2010-12-08) (DirectTV)May 20, 2011 (2011-05-20) (NBC)
A popular magazine hails Coach as the "Kingmaker." Vince's past catches up to him. Luke reacts to the truth. A suspicious accident delays Julie's return to college.
707"Perfect Record"Adam DavidsonEtan Frankel & Derek Santos OlsonDecember 15, 2010 (2010-12-15) (DirectTV)May 27, 2011 (2011-05-27) (NBC)
Rivalry week stirs up controversy and the return of a familiar face. Vince is caught in the middle between Coach and his father Ornette. Billy takes Luke under his wing.
718"Fracture"Allison Liddi-BrownMonica HendersonJanuary 5, 2011 (2011-01-05) (DirectTV)June 3, 2011 (2011-06-03) (NBC)
Coach fears he's beginning to lose his grip on the team. Tami worries that one of her students is being neglected. Vince alienates his teammates. Becky enters a beauty pageant.
729"Gut Check"Chris EyreDavid HudginsJanuary 12, 2011 (2011-01-12) (DirectTV)June 17, 2011 (2011-06-17) (NBC)
Coach threatens to suspend Vince. Luke faces pressure. Billy learns some surprising news from Mindy. Becky starts a surprising new job.
7310"Don't Go"Michael WaxmanBridget CarpenterJanuary 19, 2011 (2011-01-19) (DirectTV)June 24, 2011 (2011-06-24) (NBC)
An elite college football program attempts to lure Coach away from East Dillon. Vince vows to earn his spot back. Friends and family speak at Tim's parole hearing. East Dillon holds a Fall Sports Banquet.
7411"The March"Jason KatimsRolin JonesJanuary 26, 2011 (2011-01-26) (DirectTV)July 1, 2011 (2011-07-01) (NBC)
Budget cuts threaten the teams status as they fight towards going to state. Tim has trouble adjusting to the home life he left behind. Vince's father shows his true colors. Tami gets a new job opportunity.
7512"Texas Whatever"Kyle ChandlerKerry EhrinFebruary 2, 2011 (2011-02-02) (DirectTV)July 8, 2011 (2011-07-08) (NBC)
The School Board reaches a decision about the future of Dillon football. An old friend helps Tim find his way. Jess and Vince reunite. Tami and Eric face a tough decision about their future.
7613"Always"Michael WaxmanJason KatimsFebruary 9, 2011 (2011-02-09) (DirectTV)July 15, 2011 (2011-07-15) (NBC)
With the decision to close the East Dillon Football program speculation runs wild on two fronts. Will the Lions be able to win State by beating the Hudgins Hawks and go out in a blaze of glory; and will Coach Taylor agree to return to coach the Dillon Panthers and a super team with the best of both schools? Tami's PA job offer adds conflict in the Taylor home as does a new development with Matt and Julie. Meanwhile Tim Riggins and Tyra talk seriously about their futures and Luke and Becky clear the air.

text: Series finale[edit]

text: Reception[edit]

text: TVLine's Michael Ausiello said after watching the finale that "One of the best dramas in the history of TV is over..." [3]

text: Ken Tucker from Entertainment Weekly wrote "...that was one fine, emotional, intelligent, and satisfying ending... Watching the final episode, I came once again to the conclusion that this was the best portrait of a marriage I’ve ever seen on television."[4] The A.V. Club gave the episode an "A" rating, stating "...what made Friday Night Lights such an appealing show is the way it captured the joys of life in a small, football-obsessed town. Most of those joys stemmed from the relationships the characters forged there, all of them related, directly or otherwise, to football. Some of them were quite unexpected".[5]

text: TV Guide named the series finale "Always" the best TV episode of 2011.[6] Time magazine's James Poniewozik included it in his Top 10 TV Episodes of 2011. He said, "Bracing for a great series to produce its final episode can be like watching an egg-on-a-spoon race: you tense up, hoping your player doesn't drop it at the last moment. FNL kept the egg intact, finishing up five seasons with a finale that gave closure to a vast number of Texas stories while giving poetic voice to its values of community and selflessness" and concluded "To the end, the heart of this American classic was not whether you win or lose but how you play the game".[7] BuddyTV also listed it as the best TV episode of 2011.[8]

text: Deleted scenes[edit]

text: A speech by Coach Taylor playing over the final montage was cut, as Jason Katims wanted the montage to be all about the small moments coming into one.

text: Scott Porter asked Katims while filming the scene where Tim and Billy are building the house, to include his character Jason Street. The scene was filmed, for the experience of the scene, Katims says, but was never intended to be included in the episode.[3]

text: Reception[edit]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: On the review aggregator website Metacritic, the fifth season scored 82 out of 100, based on 10 reviews, indicating "Universal acclaim".[9]

text: Accolades[edit]

text: American Cinema Editors "Eddie" Award[edit]

text: Best Edited One-Hour Series for Commercial Television, Angela M. Catanzaro for "Always" (Nominated)

text: Directors Guild of America Award[edit]

text: Outstanding Directing – Drama Series, Michael Waxman for "Always" (Nominated)

text: Humanitas Prize[edit]

text: 60 Minute Category, Jason Katims for "Always" (Won)

text: NAMIC Vision Award[edit]

text: Best Drama Series (Nominated)

text: Primetime Emmy Awards[edit]

text:
Outstanding Drama Series (Nominated)
Outstanding Lead Actor in a Drama Series, Kyle Chandler (Won)
Outstanding Lead Actress in a Drama Series, Connie Britton (Nominated)
Outstanding Writing for a Drama Series, Jason Katims for "Always" (Won)

text: Satellite Awards[edit]

text:
Best Television Series – Drama (Nominated)
Best Actor – Television Series: Drama, Kyle Chandler (Nominated)
Best Actress – Television Series: Drama, Connie Britton (Nominated)

text: Screen Actors Guild Award[edit]

text: Outstanding Performance by a Male Actor in a Drama Series, Kyle Chandler (Nominated)

text: Television Critics Association Awards[edit]

text:
Program of the Year (Won)
Outstanding Achievement in Drama (Nominated)

text: Possible film[edit]

text: In July 2011, it was revealed that executive producer Peter Berg was interested in continuing the series, as a feature film.[10] In August 2011, Berg said at a Television Critics Association panel that the Friday Night Lights film is in development. Berg was quoted as saying "We're very serious about trying to do it", adding that the script is currently being written. Universal Pictures and Imagine Television would produce the film, with Kyle Chandler and Connie Britton set to return.[11] In May 2013, executive producer Brian Grazer confirmed the continued development to make a film.[12] In December 2013, it was confirmed by Berg that a film would not be moving forward.[13]


document_title: Ghost in the Shell (2017 film)

question_text: who plays batou in ghost in the shell

question_tokens: who plays batou in ghost in the shell

root

text: Ghost in the Shell (2017 film)

text: Plot[edit]

text: In the near future, the vast majority of humans are augmented with cybernetics, enhancing various traits like vision, strength, and intelligence. Hanka Robotics, the world's leading developer of augmentative technology, establishes a secret project to develop a mechanical body, or "shell", that can integrate a human brain rather than an AI. Mira Killian,[15] a young woman who is the sole survivor of the cyberterrorist attack which killed her parents, is chosen as the test subject after her body is apparently damaged beyond repair. Over the objections of her designer, Dr. Ouelet, Hanka CEO Cutter decides to use Killian as a counter-terrorism operative.

tag: p

text: A year later, Killian has attained the rank of Major in the anti-terrorist bureau Section 9, working alongside operatives Batou and Togusa under Chief Daisuke Aramaki. The team successfully thwarts a terrorist attack on a Hanka business conference, and Killian destroys a rogue mechanical geisha after it murders a hostage. Killian, who has been experiencing hallucinations that Ouelet dismisses as glitches, is becoming increasingly bothered by how little she remembers about her past. After learning that the geisha was hacked by an unknown entity, known only as Kuze, Killian breaks protocol and "dives" into its AI for answers. The entity attempts a counter-hack, and Batou is forced to disconnect her. Using the information she was able to gather, the two trace the hacker to a Yakuza nightclub, where they are lured into a trap. The resulting explosion destroys Batou's eyes, and leaves Killian's body severely damaged. Cutter is enraged by Killian's actions, and threatens to have Section 9 shut down unless Aramaki keeps her in line.

text: Kuze tracks down Section 9's Hanka consultant, Dr. Dahlin, and kills her. The team links her murder to the deaths of other senior company researchers, and realize that Dr. Ouelet is the next target. Kuze takes control of two sanitation workers and sends them to kill Ouelet. Batou, now with cybernetic eyes, kills one of them while the repaired Killian subdues the other. During interrogation, Kuze briefly speaks through the surviving worker before compelling him to commit suicide. Togusa traces the hack to a secret location, where the team discovers a large number of humans mentally linked together as a makeshift signal network. Killian is captured, and Kuze reveals that he is a failed Hanka test subject from the same project that created Killian, otherwise known as 2571. He urges her to question her own memories before freeing her and escaping.

text: Killian confronts Ouelet, who admits there were 98 test subjects before Killian but she was the only one to survive the process and that her memories are fake implanted ones. Cutter has decided that Killian is too much of a liability, and orders Ouelet to euthanize her after she returns to Hanka Robotics. Instead, Ouelet gives Killian an address and helps her escape. Cutter kills Ouelet, but blames Killian, saying that she has gone rogue. He subsequently informs Aramaki and the team that Killian must be terminated by any means necessary.

text: Killian follows the address to an apartment occupied by a widowed mother, who reveals that her daughter, Motoko Kusanagi, ran away from home a year ago and was arrested, before taking her own life while in custody. Unable to process her emotions, Killian leaves and contacts Aramaki, who intentionally allows Cutter to eavesdrop on their conversation. Batou, Togusa, and Aramaki each eliminate Cutter's men trying to ambush them, while Killian follows her memories to the hideaway where Motoko was last seen. There, she and Kuze meet, and recall their past lives as anti-augmentation radicals who were abducted by Hanka for use as test subjects.

text: Cutter deploys a "spider-tank" to kill them, and Kuze nearly dies before Killian is able to tear off the tank's motor, losing her left arm in the process. Mortally wounded, Kuze offers to merge his "ghost" with Killian's before a Hanka sniper kills him. Batou and the team rescue Killian, while Aramaki executes Cutter with Killian's consent.

text: The next day, Killian, now repaired and embracing her true identity as Motoko, reconnects with her mother before returning to work with Section 9.

text: Cast[edit]

text:
Scarlett Johansson as Major Mira Killian / Motoko Kusanagi

Kaori Yamamoto as young Motoko Kusanagi[16]

"Beat" Takeshi Kitano as Chief Daisuke Aramaki
Michael Carmen Pitt as Kuze / Hideo[17]

Andrew Morris as young Hideo

Pilou Asbæk as Batou
Chin Han as Togusa
Juliette Binoche as Dr. Ouelet[18]
Peter Ferdinando as Cutter
Kaori Momoi as Motoko's mother
Lasarus Ratuere as Carlos Ishikawa
Danusia Samal as Ladriya
Anamaria Marinca as Dr. Dahlin
Michael Wincott as Dr. Osmond (uncredited)
Yutaka Izumihara as Saito
Tawanda Manyimo as Borma
Daniel Henshall as Skinny Man
Rila Fukushima as a geisha robot
Pete Teo as Tony
Yuta Kazama as Data Host
Chris Obi as Ambassador Kiyoshi
Adwoa Aboah as Lia
Tricky (deleted scene)[19]

tag: ul

text: In the Japanese dub, Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Otsuka and Koichi Yamadera reprise the roles they played in the Mamoru Oshii films and the Stand Alone Complex television series.[20]

text: Production[edit]

text: In 2008, DreamWorks (who handled U.S. theatrical distribution of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence through its Go Fish Pictures banner) and Steven Spielberg acquired the rights to produce a live-action film adaptation of the original manga. Avi Arad and Steven Paul were later confirmed as producers, with Jamie Moss to write the screenplay.[21] In October 2009, it was announced that Laeta Kalogridis had replaced Moss as writer.[22] On January 24, 2014, it was reported that Rupert Sanders would direct the film, with a screenplay by William Wheeler.[23] Wheeler worked on the script for approximately a year and a half, later saying, "It's a vast enterprise. I think I was second or third in the mix, and I know there have been at least six or seven writers."[24] Jonathan Herman also worked on the screenplay.[25] Ultimately, credit for the screenplay was given to Moss, William Wheeler and Ehren Kruger.[citation needed]

text: On September 3, 2014, Margot Robbie was in early talks for the lead role.[26] On October 16, it was announced that DreamWorks had made a $10 million offer to Scarlett Johansson for the lead role after Robbie's talks for the role fell apart when she was cast as Harley Quinn in Suicide Squad.[27] In May 2015, Paramount Pictures agreed to co-produce and co-finance the film.[28] On November 10, 2015, Pilou Asbæk was cast in the film for the role of Batou.[29] According to TheWrap, Matthias Schoenaerts was circling the role of Batou that went to Asbæk.[30] On November 19, 2015, it was reported that Sam Riley was in early talks to join the film for the villain role as Kuze, the leader of most dangerous criminals and extremists.[31] But, on February 4, 2016, Variety reported that Michael Pitt was in talks for the role.[32] On March 3, 2016, TheWrap reported that Japanese actor Takeshi Kitano had been cast as Daisuke Aramaki, the founder and leader of the elite unit Section 9 tasked with protecting the world from the most dangerous technological threats.[33]

text: Principal photography on the film began on location in Wellington, New Zealand, on February 1, 2016.[34] In April 2016, the full cast was announced, which included Juliette Binoche, Chin Han, Lasarus Ratuere and Kaori Momoi.[18] In May 2016, Rila Fukushima was cast in a role.[35] Filming wrapped up in New Zealand on June 3, 2016. Filming also took place in the Yau Ma Tei and Jordan areas of Hong Kong, around Pak Hoi Street and Woosung Street on June 7, 8 and 10 or 14–16.[36]

text: Release[edit]

text: Ghost in the Shell was originally scheduled by Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures for an April 14, 2017, release through their Touchstone Pictures banner.[37][38] The film was part of DreamWorks' distribution deal with Walt Disney Studios, which began in 2009.[39] In April 2015, Disney moved the film's release date in North America to March 31, 2017, with Paramount Pictures handling international distribution.[28][40] However, it was reported in September 2015 that DreamWorks and Disney would not renew their distribution deal, which was set to expire in August 2016.[41] In January 2016, Disney dropped the film from its release slate after DreamWorks' distribution deal with Universal Pictures was finalized in December 2015.[42][43] Disney's distribution rights for the film were transferred completely to Paramount instead of Universal, with Paramount retaining Disney's release date of March 31, 2017.[42] Unusually, the film was not screened for critics before its release.[13]

text: Box office[edit]

text: Ghost in the Shell grossed $40.5 million in the United States and Canada and $129.2 million in other territories for a worldwide gross of $169.8 million, against a production budget of $110 million.[7]

text: In North America, Ghost in the Shell opened alongside The Boss Baby and The Zookeeper's Wife, and was projected to gross around $25 million from 3,440 theaters in its opening weekend.[44] It made $1.8 million from Thursday night previews and $7.7 million on Friday. It opened to a less-than-expected $19 million, finishing third at the box office behind The Boss Baby and Beauty and the Beast. Deadline.com attributed the poor opening to below-average critical reviews, an unclear marketing campaign, and no social media presence by Johansson.[45] In its second weekend the film grossed $7.4 million, dropping 60.4% and finishing 5th at the box office.[46]

text: Kyle Davies, domestic distribution chief for Paramount, felt the controversy around the casting had damaged reviews, and said: "You're always trying to thread that needle between honoring the source material and make a movie for a mass audience. That's challenging, but clearly the reviews didn't help."[47] Conversely, Deadline argued that the negative critical assessment was instead due to the film being "cold, boring, thoughtless, and the same old same old next to its futuristic ancestors The Matrix and Blade Runner" and suggested that Paramount held the film from review because they "knew they had a lame duck". Deadline also reported that the film is expected to lose at least $60 million against its total advertising and production costs of $250 million.[13]

text: Compared to its U.S. gross during the same period, Japanese box office reception since the official release in the country in April 7 has been more positive, earning a modest $3.3 million in Japan during its first three days in theaters.[48][49][50] In Japan, Ghost in the Shell is currently tracking in second place just behind Sing, which has topped the Japanese box office for the last four weeks.[49][51][52]

text: In China, the film debuted at number one, grossing in $22.1 million and claiming the spot from Kong: Skull Island which held it for three weeks.[52] Nevertheless, it performed below already muted expectations, leading to the Chinese media calling it a flop.[53]

text: Critical response[edit]

text: On review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, Ghost in the Shell has an approval rating of 45% based on 223 reviews, with an average rating of 5.6/10. The site's consensus reads, "Ghost in the Shell boasts cool visuals and a compelling central performance from Scarlett Johansson, but the end result lacks the magic of the movie's classic source material."[54] On Metacritic, the film has a score of 52 out of 100, based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".[55] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "B" on an A+ to F scale.[56]

text: Justin Chang of the Los Angeles Times praised the film's visuals and production, saying: "Some of that ravishment arrives courtesy of the movie's setting, a stunning pan-Asian metropolis that makes boldly inventive use of the Hong Kong skyline, its tightly stacked buildings tricked out with enormous holographic billboards. (The cinematography and production design, both staggering, are by Jess Hall and Jan Roelfs, respectively.)"[57] Michael Phillips of Chicago Tribune gave the film 3/4 and said, "This isn't jokey, quippy science fiction; true to the source material, it's fairly grave about the implications of an android-dominated culture, though of course Ghost in the Shell is also about giant mecha spiders equipped with machine guns."[58]

text: Richard Roeper of Chicago Sun-Times gave the film 2.5 out of 4 stars, saying: "Just about every scene in Ghost in the Shell is a visual wonder to behold—and you'll have ample to time to soak in all that background eye candy, because the plot machinations and the action in the foreground are largely of the ho-hum retread variety."[59] Evan Narcisse of io9 commented that the film failed to capture the feel of the source material, with the biggest problem being the Major asking the wrong sort of existential questions about herself.[60]

text: Cecilia D'Anastasio of Kotaku commented on the film's failure to adhere to the source material, saying: "Somebody misjudged how poorly American superhero movie tropes would map onto Ghost in the Shell", and that "[the] final scene tried to do that 'satisfying our need for closure' thing American directors think is kind, but is actually condescending."[61] Brian Truitt of USA Today gave the film 1.5/4, stating: "Ghost in the Shell is a defective mess with lifeless characters, missed chances for thematic exploration and a minefield of political incorrectness."[62]

text: Manohla Dargis of The New York Times expressed disappointment at the absence of the original's "big, human, all-too-human questions" in contrast to the retention of action clichés such as chases and gun fights. Dargis also criticized the absence of the unique setting, stating that "The original manga takes place in what's described as a "strange corporate conglomerate-state called 'Japan,' while this movie unwinds nowhere in particular, just a universal megalopolis filled with soaring gray towers."[63]

text: Nicholas Barber of the BBC describes the film as "conceptually and visually breathtaking", being an elaborately designed and detailed dystopia which seems disturbingly real.[64]

text: Peter Suderman of Vox and Emily Yoshida of Vulture criticized the removal of philosophical ideas from the story, feeling the movie westernized the story and changed the search for the idea of a soul to just finding individuality and memories.[65][66] Others call it an action movie that for once doesn't throw philosophy overboard.[67]

text: James Hadfield of the Japan Times argued that the film missed the mark but was better than Hollywood's previous attempts at adapting anime for the big screen.[68]

text: The film currently has a 3.48 star (out of 5) rating on Yahoo Movies Japan, with four stars for its visuals and three for its story.[51][69] On April 10, The Hollywood Reporter noted that the adaptation's rating on Yahoo Movies Japan was higher than the 3.2 rating of the 1995 original anime film.[14][50][48]

text: Home media[edit]

text: Ghost in the Shell was released on Digital HD on July 7, 2017[70] and on Blu-ray and DVD on July 25, 2017.[71][72]

text: Casting criticism[edit]

text: The casting of Scarlett Johansson as Major Motoko Kusanagi, (renamed "Mira Killian" for this film), brought accusations of whitewashing.[73][74][75][76] Pavan Shamdasani of Asia Times wrote: "The original is about as Asian as things get: Japanese cult manga, ground-breaking anime, Hong Kong-inspired locations, Eastern philosophy-based story. Most of that's been downright ignored with its big-screen adaptation, and Scarlett Johansson's casting as the dark-haired, obviously originally Asian lead sent netizens into a rage."[77] In April 2016, ScreenCrush reported that the filmmakers had commissioned the use of CGI and other visual effects testing to alter Johansson's appearance to make her appear Asian,[78] spurring further backlash.[79][80] Paramount stated the tests were short-lived and did not involve Johansson.[81] Some fans and industry employees argued that the controversy is a symptom of a bigger issue: that modern Hollywood fears casting non-white actors would bring less profit.[81][82] Marc Bernardin of Los Angeles Times wrote that "the only race Hollywood cares about is the box office race".[83]

text: In Japan, fans were surprised that the casting had caused controversy, as they had assumed that a Hollywood production would choose a white actress. They felt the appearance of the protagonist was immaterial due to the franchise's themes of self-identity and the blurring of artificial and natural bodies.[84][85] The Hollywood Reporter spoke to a group of female Japanese American actors, including Keiko Agena, about the film; the actresses argued that Japanese natives are not upset by the film because of white beauty standards held in Japan.[86] According to Justin Charity of Ringer, "your average Japanese citizen's outlook on diversity is much less influenced by pluralism than the outlooks of many Asian Americans, who live in a country where popular culture rarely represents them well, if at all. Hence, many Japanese Americans may find Johansson's casting in a Ghost in the Shell movie distressing, while native Japanese observers make nothing of it."[84]

text: Paramount released a featurette of Mamoru Oshii (director of the 1995 and 2004 original anime films) visiting the studio, in which he says that Johansson exceeded his expectations for the role.[87] Oshii told IGN that as the Major uses an assumed body and name, there was no basis for saying an Asian woman must portray her, and stated: "I can only sense a political motive from the people opposing it, and I believe artistic expression must be free from politics."[88] During a launch event in Tokyo, director Rupert Sanders said of Johansson: "There are very few actresses with 20 years' experience who have the cyberpunk ethic already baked in. I stand by my decision—she's the best actress of her generation."[89] Addressing the controversy, producer Steven Paul referred to the film's setting as "an international world" with characters of numerous nationalities.[90]

text: Sam Yoshiba, director of the international business division at Kodansha's Tokyo headquarters, which holds the rights to the Ghost in the Shell series, said: "Looking at her career so far, I think Scarlett Johansson is well cast. She has the cyberpunk feel. And we never imagined it would be a Japanese actress in the first place... this is a chance for a Japanese property to be seen around the world."[85][91] Johansson said of the criticism: "I certainly would never presume to play another race of a person. Diversity is important in Hollywood, and I would never want to feel like I was playing a character that was offensive. Also, having a franchise with a female protagonist driving it is such a rare opportunity. Certainly, I feel the enormous pressure of that—the weight of such a big property on my shoulders."[92]

text: The film attracted further criticism for its ending, which reveals that Johansson's character was originally a Japanese girl, Motoko Kusanagi.[16][93] The Media Action Network for Asian Americans accused Johansson of lying when she said she would never play the role of a person of a different race than her own.[94] Japanese-American actress Ai Yoshihara, speaking to The Hollywood Reporter, said she felt the twist was "white people trying to justify the casting". Another Japanese-American actress, Atsuko Okatsuka, concluded: "Hanka Robotics [the corporation in the film] is making a being that's the best of human and the best of robotics. For some reason, the best stuff they make happens to be white."[86]