Scarlett Johansson was accused of “whitewashing” ( Photo Credit – Instagram )
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In 2015, fresh off her success in “Lucy” and “Avengers: Age of Ultron,” Scarlett Johansson was cast in a live-action adaptation of “Ghost in the Shell.” The Japanese franchise was based on Masamune Shirow’s manga series that follows the cyberpunk movement, which delves deep into the philosophical boundary between man and machine.
When Steven Spielberg’s DreamWorks acquired the rights to the series, the project was poised to be a major success. However, Scarlett Johansson’s acceptance of the role of Major Motoko, a cyborg soldier with a human brain and a cybernetic body who is, by all descriptions, an Asian character, created a PR crisis.
The casting decision led to a public uproar, with many fans asserting that an Asian actress should play the lead role in “Ghost in the Shell.” Their contention was based on the plot of a story set in a fictional city in Japan and created by a Japanese artist.
As the outcry intensified, the Manhattan-born actress was accused of “whitewashing” (white actors playing non-white roles) for accepting a role in a popular Japanese series.
Things quickly turned awry when ScreenCrush reported that “Ghost in the Shell” producers tested visual effects on Scarlett Johansson to make her appear slightly Asian.
Shortly after, Paramount Pictures released a statement acknowledging the tests were done but said they were applied to a background actor, not Johansson.
The statement read, “A test was done related to a specific scene for a background actor, which was ultimately discarded. Absolutely no visual effects tests were conducted on Scarlett’s character, and we have no future plans to do so.”
When Scarlett Johansson was confronted with the ” whitewashing” allegation, she refused to discuss Major’s race but instead highlighted the groundbreaking opportunity for a woman to lead a franchise. In an interview with Marie Claire, she said, “Diversity is important in Hollywood, and I would never want to feel like I was playing a character that was offensive.”
Johansson continued, “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.”
Johansson again defended taking on the role in a Good Morning America Interview, saying, “I would never attempt to play a person of a different race, obviously.”
However, the audience was turned off by the controversy, leading the movie to tank at the box office. According to Box Office Mojo, Ghost In a Shell made $40.5 Million against the budget of $119 Million in domestic haul. The film accumulated a little over $169 Million worldwide.
