Back in 2017, Scarlett Johansson’s casting as Major Motoko Kusanagi had Hollywood buzzing—but Ghost in the Shell quickly stumbled. Fans accused the studio of whitewashing the beloved Japanese heroine, sparking backlash before the first trailer even dropped.
Speaking of trailers, the marketing failed to capture the original manga’s cyberpunk spirit. Without that emotional hook, audiences stayed away, and critical word-of-mouth turned sour.
On top of that, the screenplay veered dramatically from its source material, sacrificing character depth for flashy visuals. Devoted manga readers felt alienated—and they weren’t alone. When Beauty and the Beast and The Fate of the Furious shared the same release window, Ghost didn’t stand a chance.
In the end, this big-budget experiment offers a cautionary lesson: respect your roots, craft a strong marketing narrative, and choose your release slot wisely—especially when you’re spending hundreds of millions.