To celebrate the screening of the 4K remastered versions of the animated feature films "Innocence" and "Ghost in the Shell," based on Masamune Shirow's popular manga "Ghost in the Shell," a talk event was held at TOHO Cinemas Shinjuku (Shinjuku, Tokyo) on March 2nd, with director Mamoru Oshii, who worked on the film, and voice actor Akio Otsuka, who plays Batou, taking to the stage. The participants were asked to answer questions with a "Yes" or "No," and when asked "Would you like to make a sequel to "Ghost in the Shell" and "Innocence," Director Oshii chose "Yes" and began speaking, "On a condition..."
Director Oshii revealed, "There are things I want to do with the third film. There is just one thing I have left to do. If I can do it, I would like to do it."
Tanaka Atsuko, who played Motoko Kusanagi, passed away in August last year. Director Oshii said, "I haven't had much chance to talk to Atsuko personally. When she stands in front of a microphone, she becomes Motoko. To me, she is Motoko herself. When we're standing and talking in the hallway, she's a woman called Tanaka Atsuko." He continued, "What about the third film? It could be the existence of a soul. In anime, the voice and the picture are separate. (Innocence) could be an anime-like theme. The voice changes even for the same character. It's difficult with the real body. Motoko and Batou only exist in the world of anime. It's easier to put emotion into a character in animation."
"Ghost in the Shell", released in 1995, tells the story of Motoko Kusanagi and other members of Public Security Section 9 (Ghost in the Shell) chasing a hacker known as the Puppet Master, who is on the international wanted list. It was also popular overseas, reaching number one on the weekly Billboard video chart. A 4K remaster was released in September 2021.
"Innocence" is a sequel set in 2032, three years after "Ghost in the Shell," and was the first Japanese anime to be selected for the competition section at the Cannes Film Festival, which also drew attention. It was released in theaters in 2004 and celebrated its 20th anniversary last year. This is the first time that a 4K remaster of the work will be screened in theaters.
