Dreamworks’ adaptation of the popular manga series Ghost in the Shell has just added a new cast member. Actor Pilou Asbæk will play the role of Batou opposite Scarlett Johansson in the sci-fi thriller. The character of Batou is a favourite in the fan community, present in most adaptations of the source material and even taking the leading role in the anime film Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence. Batou is the second-in-command of Section 9, with a rough exterior but kind to the core and extremly loyal to his commander Motoko Kusanagi (Johansson).
Asbæk and Johansson are no strangers to sharing screentime, having appeared together in last year’s Luc Besson sci-fi actioner Lucy. Asbæk will also soon be appearing in Timur Bekmembatov’s remake of Ben-Hur as Pontius Pilate, and in the sixth season of Game of Thrones playing Euron Greyjoy.
Ghost in the Shell follows Kusanagi and her special operations task force Section 9 in a cyberpunk future where full body cyborg prosthesis is the norm. With terrorist hackers capable of hacking into people’s brains and bending them to their whim, it’s up to Kusanagi to stop these dangerous criminals whilst also pondering the questionable nature of the world she lives in. Snow White and the Huntsman‘s Rupert Sanders is directing the film from a script by Straight Outta Compton‘s Jonathan Hermann. The film is set to be released on March 31st 2017.
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