Claim: Scarlett Johansson is an actress.

Ghost in the Shell is a 2017 American science fiction action film directed by Rupert Sanders and written by Jamie Moss , William Wheeler , and Ehren Kruger , based on the Japanese manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow . It stars Scarlett Johansson , Takeshi Kitano , Michael Pitt , Pilou Asbæk , Chin Han , and Juliette Binoche . Set in a near future when the line between humans and robots is blurring , the plot follows the Major -LRB- Johansson -RRB- , a cyborg supersoldier who yearns to learn her past .   Ghost in the Shell premiered in Tokyo on March 16 , 2017 , and was released in the United States on March 31 , 2017 , in 2D , 3D , IMAX 3D and 4DX . It received mixed reviews , with praise for its faithful visual style , exciting and elaborately designed future settings , approach on practical effects , action sequences , and musical score but criticism for its story and lack of character development . The casting of Johansson also drew accusations of whitewashing from some . It grossed $ 169 million worldwide against a production budget of $ 110 million .