A petition has been launched urging the producers of the upcoming adaptation of the Japanese film Ghost in the Shell not to cast Scarlett Johansson, reports the New Zealand Herald.
The petition directed at DreamWorks reads:
“The original film is set in Japan, and the major cast members are Japanese … So why would the American remake star a white actress? The industry is already unfriendly to Asian actors without roles in major films being changed to exclude them.”
The petition which urges that an Asian American actress be cast in the role has attracted 
21,000 signatures(photo by “Scarlett Johansson – Captain America 2 press conference (retouched) 2” by Elen NivraeLight show at en.wikipedia – http://www.flickr.com/photos/nivrae/13220390694/Transferred from en.wikipedia by ronhjones. Licensed under CC BY 2.0 via Wikimedia Commons.).
Scarlett Johansson has been cast in a number of action flicks of late including Avengers and Captain America.
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RE: Petition opposes whitewashing of Japanese film: While I have nothing against Scarlett Johansson, This is like casting Marilyn Monroe as Mulan. Culture and cultural perspective play a huge part of the Ghost int he shell world.
That aside do you see Johanson, in any amount of makeup looking like someone with the family name Kusanagi?
Sure she is a full body cyborg but she was born and raised Japanese She has chosen to keep an appearance that matches her upbringing.
Some of the Majors subjective offspring have crossed racial and cultural lines, and the major herself is Bisexual but there is no doubt she is Japanese.
If this is a remake of the original Puppet Master story arc they can’t make such a huge change in the character without missing a huge part of the point of the story.