So, far, we’ve only gotten enigmatic hints and teases of Scarlett Johansson and director Rupert Sanders’ live-action Ghost In The Shell. Tonight, though, Paramount finally revealed the first full trailer for its remake of the sci-fi anime classic, debuting the video at a star-studded event in Tokyo, Japan.
Even before the trailer was released to the public, fans got a look at the movie’s recreation of the anime’s intro, in which the body of indomitable cyborg The Major is essentially built from scratch. (Meanwhile, IGN has a making-of for the sequence, which combined extensive practical effects with CGI, right here.)
The trailer itself begins with an introduction from Johansson, before plunging into the film’s often overwhelming visual buffet. In between the skyscraper-sized advertisements and Pilou Asbæk’s crazy cybernetic eyes, though, there’s plenty of shots of The Major—who’s basically Robocop in skintight armor—kicking ass and having some existential doubts. There’s also a healthy helping of pleasantly crazy images, like the robot geishas from the previous teasers, or the sight of Johansson with half her skin peeled off.
It remains to be seen whether the film’s story will be able to catch up with its visual imagination, or if the trailer will be able to win over the movie’s critics, many of whom have criticized Johansson’s casting in the role. (The Major was Japanese in the original source material.) In any case, Ghost In The Shell propels itself into theaters on March 31, 2017.