According to The Hollywood Reporter, a new animated Ghost in the Shell series is in production from Publisher Kodansha and Japan-headquartered animation company Production I.G. Company vice-president Maki Terashima-Furuta was also announced as the new president of Production I.G. USA this week. The new Ghost in the Shell series will not be a squeal to previous manga shows like the latest Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Society, but an entirely new journey into the Ghost in the Shell universe.
The new animated series comes from Kenji Kamiyama who was the director of the very popular Ghost in the Shell series: Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex. Serving as co-director will be Shinji Aramaki of Appleseed and Appleseed Aplha, series which both come before Ghost in the Shell but deal with similar themes.
The anime is strategically airing on the heels of the Ghost in the Shell live-action film, allowing new viewers to become fans of the franchise in theaters and continue their viewership at home. The live-action film starring Scarlett Johansson premiered on March 31 and is currently in theaters, but is expected to lose millions. Perhaps Ghost in the Shell is just too hard to get right in a live action movie, but maybe the new anime show can get it right.