Ghost in the Shell Movie?

Hey guys, I was on YouTube earlier and found a feed going around about the new live action movie of Ghost in the Shell. The feed is, if no one knows about it yet, about Hollywood screwing up casting again. Apparently the entire cast for the movie has no Asians and the main role of Major Motoko Kusanagi is given to Scarlett Johansson. There's also a petition to have the role recasted for an Asian actress. If there's anyone that's a fan of the Ghost in the Shell series/franchise and heard of this what are your thoughts? If anyone is curious here's the link to the petition if you wanna take a look at it. There's over 100,000 signatures: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/683/366/733/dreamworks-dont-whitewash-japanese-films/?z00m=22503826 If you don't care about the casting can you explain why? I love Ghost in the Shell so my main worry is that'll they'll screw up the movie entirely either way.

The only reason this movie was probably given a chance to be made in the first place was to have an A-lister celeb. These type of movies generally arent picked up or just fall flat, people complained about the new ghost busters being female, a black storm trooper, black norse god, keanu reeves playing the last samurai etc. Scarlett Johansson has a big fan base, also people may not to admit this but race aside she has a suitable face to play the role.

I'm curious to know, is there anywhere in the narrative that explicitly states that the major's cybernetic body being modeled after someone of Asian descent?

@rOBSCENE That's generally my thought on the matter but I can only assume most people take the origin of her last name as proof of her descent but then again in Anime most people have Japanese names even the black dudes.

I don't really buy the reasoning that they need A list celebrities to make movies, (this isn't pertaining specifically to Ghost in the Shell). I mean if you think of the casts of the live action remakes of Dragonball and the Last Airbender. I don't think there was an A list celebrity in those movies but they still got made (for better or worse....)

Idk i just want to bring in the facts that asians aren't well portrayed in media, especially in Hollywood movies. There's been a lot of whitewashing in hollywood, obviously because they'll go for more high budgeted celebrities to make more profits in the movie and the high budgeted ones are white actors/actresses. There isnt any high profiled asians in the first place to cast because hollywood is...not to be too offensive: white. Like there's more happening these years where more coloured people are being nominated for the oscars and are being casted which i'm really happy that's happening. I'm just hoping asians would have the same thing is all. It just kinda sucks that ghost in the shell, a japanese anime with the main character who looks asian (more asian than usual cuz like anime is like no one looks asians tbh) and has a japanese name is being portrayed by a white woman. I love Scarlet Johansson and a lot of her movies but honestly why won't they give others a chance? I feel like i'm being too strong with the whitewash thing but it's a reality, and not that i hate it cuz i love a lot of hollywood actors and actresses but the only reason why theres so many its cuz they dont give chances to other races and cultures is all. :)

I guess I can't get worked up as much as others. I don't have much hope for this being a good movie in the first place. I wish people were more interested in turning live-action into anime rather than the reverse, but that'll never happen :P The true Ghost in the Shell will always be the anime and manga. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eKkp2jjOk88

I don't care as much about ethnic background as lots of anime characters don't even look Asian. But it depends on the roles and scenery. Obviously if it's a school in Tokyo for example, the characters should probably be Asian. Most Japanese live action films just tend to be kind of bland and sometimes cheesy with low budget effects. I love the colorful anime hair but Japanese live action ignores that so the characters seem more bland. Hollywood versions like to change random stuff for no reason or just entertainment value. Throw any and every major stars into the roles whether they fit or not and are paranoid of loli figures and get people way older for those roles (Kite). (But Hollywood usually does that 20+ yr olds play teens) The only good live action I've seen so far are Death Note and Rurouni Kenshin.