Paramount's live-action remake of Mamoru Oshii's seminal animated film Ghost in the Shell opens in theaters next month, and IGN had the opportunity to get the director's thoughts on the upcoming adaption of his 1995 anime classic.

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Ghost in the Shell Limited Edition Steelbook with Exclusive Mondo artwork 20 IMAGES

While the casting of Scarlett Johansson has proven to be a point of controversy among fans because she isn't Asian, Oshii doesn't see any issue with her assuming the role of the Major, and said he believes she was "the best possible" choice for the live-action adaptation."What issue could there possibly be with casting her?" Oshii told IGN by e-mail. "The Major is a cyborg and her physical form is an entirely assumed one. The name 'Motoko Kusanagi' and her current body are not her original name and body, so there is no basis for saying that an Asian actress must portray her. Even if her original body (presuming such a thing existed) were a Japanese one, that would still apply."The director went on to point out how a number of actors in the past have played characters of different ethnic groups without issue. "In the movies, John Wayne can play Genghis Khan, and Omar Sharif, an Arab, can play Doctor Zhivago, a Slav. It's all just cinematic conventions," he explained. "If that's not allowed, then Darth Vader probably shouldn’t speak English, either. I believe having Scarlett play Motoko was the best possible casting for this movie. I can only sense a political motive from the people opposing it, and I believe artistic expression must be free from politics."Oshii also doesn't believe the live-action adaption needs to adhere strictly to the way everything was portrayed in his animated film. He said director Rupert Sanders should take some creative liberties . "If this is to be a remake of the anime, I don't think it's necessary to remain faithful to the way things were expressed in the anime. The director should exercise his directorial freedom as much as possible. If he doesn't do so, there would be no point in remaking it," he explained.As far as what he believes is the important aspect from his film that should be carried over to Paramount's live-action adaptation, he suggested "the worldview, perhaps." Said the filmmaker, "To question what sort of society will be born from the close interaction of man and technology, and how that will transform human existence."When asked if there's a single, definitive take on Masamune Shirow's original Ghost in the Shell manga, Oshii said that it's a tough question to answer. "[But] of course, as the director, I should answer that my own work is the one," he offered.Sanders' live-action film recreates the iconic shelling sequence depicted in the 1995 anime film, and while Oshii "thought it was well done," he said it made him "think that hand-drawn animation is still superior to CG at emotional expression." That said, he went on to note how this "is due to a difference in the range of techniques that have built up over time for each method, so there is no telling what the future may hold." As such, Oshii believes "there may come a time when the CG staff will have a greater expressive ability than hand-drawn animators."The director also discussed the differences between live-action and animated works, noting how "live action does an overwhelmingly better job of making it feel like you're really there." He also pointed out how "close-up shots that capture the emotional performances of actors are not possible in anime." As such, he's "look[ing] forward to the sense of presence provided by actors" in Paramount's adaptation.With regard to other potential Hollywood live-action adaptations he'd like to see of some of his other animated works, he mentioned the police/mecha action-comedy Patlabor, saying, "if you changed the setting of Patlabor to America, I think that might be interesting," and "if you made it a comedy like Ghostbusters, that could be fun."However, the film Oshii said he would "most want to see" get the big-budget Hollywood treatment is the alternate history drama The Sky Crawlers, as "it would be impossible to make that on a Japanese film budget and scale." He also noted that Jin-Roh—the 1999 thriller created and written by Oshii—is getting a live-action adaptation in Korea. "I find it fascinating to see films I was involved in be remade in another country, with a different director," he said. "It's something I look forward to seeing. Of course, I'm sure it would be even more fun if I could direct them myself."While Paramount's live-action Ghost in the Shell movie doesn't open in theaters until March 31, you can pick up a copy of Oshii's beloved original right now on Blu-ray, as the Ghost in the Shell Limited Edition Steelbook with Exclusive Mondo artwork is now available on On Blu-ray and Digital HD. Check out the gallery above for a look at several images from the film, as well as the stunning artwork featured on its Steelbook packaging.

Alex Osborn is a freelance writer for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter and subscribe to his YouTube channel.