He's worked on huge Hollywood films like Iron Man and Ghost Rider, but producer Ari Arad says he has never seen a lockdown as big as the one that took place in Wellington for Ghost in the Shell.

In April, the CBD's Victoria St was transformed into a futuristic, Asian metropolis for the science-fiction action film starring Scarlett Johansson.

The film is based on the huge Japanese pop-culture property of the same name, which began as a comic-book, or "manga", series in 1989, before branching out into an animated series and film in 1995.

ALEXANDRA WYMAN Ari Arad, who is joined by producers Steven Paul and his father Avi Arad (Marvel Studios founder), on Ghost in the Shell.

Ghost in the Shell (Kokaku Kidotai) is set somewhere in the late 21st Century, where humans have developed the technology to digitally enhance themselves with everything from bionic arms, to enhanced eyes and strong livers, with varying lengths of legality.

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The film, directed by Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) follows a team of cyber terrorism-fighters called Section 9, headed by protagonist Major Kusanagi (Johansson).

HAGEN HOPKINS The road closure and set on the corner of Victoria and Hunter Streets during the filming of Ghost In The Shell on April 9 in Wellington.

Production kicked-off in early 2016 at Miramar's Stone Street Studios, with special effects company Weta Workshop also coming on board.

Speaking to journalists in Wellington in May, before the crew headed to Hong Kong to finish the shoot, Arad said that when he first saw the Ghost in the Shell animated film at university, it stayed with him.

"I just loved the take on the future, this idea of talking about change. I just loved that they talked about people struggling with and dealing with and learning about the way that the future is going to impact them.

Paramount Pictures Ghost in the Shell releases March, 2017.

"I thought it was interesting and I felt that there was a live-action version that could really distinguish itself."

Arad, who was joined by fellow producers Steven Paul and his father Avi Arad (Marvel Studios founder), said the story for the new film took bits and pieces from all over the franchise.

"That's what's nice about something that's been running for so long – there's so much material."

CAMERON BURNELL/FAIRFAX NZ In April, the CBD's Victoria St was transformed into a futuristic, Asian metropolis.

Filming in New Zealand

Arad said the quality of film production facilities in Wellington were up there with Hollywood and that he had found the experience "terrific".

"We've probably built about 20 sets in these stages. It's been build, tear down, build, tear down, and it's been really detailed sets that everyone's had to make really quickly and they always do it beautifully."

CAMERON BURNELL/FAIRFAX NZ Filming in Victoria St revealed a military-style vehicle prop.

Part of the decision to film here was, like with any movie, he said, squeezing in as much value as possible.

"There was an opportunity here with tax rebates and the currency was right. But there are cheaper places to shoot that we didn't go because we also knew that there was an available, skilled crew base here who had obviously just made ambitious movies."

Arad stressed that the choice to film here was not simply about cost benefit.

PARAMOUNT Johansson stars in the film as a character with a human brain in a completely bionic body, hence the "ghost" in the "shell".

"We could have gone somewhere for way less, but we wouldn't have had the crew, we wouldn't have had the resources we need.

"I just want to make sure that when things like tax rebate or currency comes up, that it's not the beginning and end of the evaluation."

PARAMOUNT A scene from Ghost in the Shell featuring several Wellington extras.

Casting Controversy

Arad said adapting anything with an huge, established fan base was a challenge, "but you've sort of got to just chase your own fandom".

"We don't think we're misaligned with the fans in terms of what we like about it, but I guess you don't know until you show it to them."

"I think when it comes together it's not going to feel so expressed in retro, but there are certain things about 80s design which Rupert was keying off of," says producer Arad of the 1980s style of Ghost in the Shell.

When Johansson was announced as the film's protagonist, the studio received backlash online that they were whitewashing the film.

A fan-made petition to have Johansson replaced with an Asian actress received more than 15,000 signatures.

The film also stars Danish actor Pilou Asbaek (Game of Thrones) as a lead and American actor Michael Pitt as the film's villain.

EDUARDO MUNOZ Michael Pitt poses, who plays the film's villain, Kuze.

Asked about the casting issue, Arad said it was difficult to gauge fans' reactions from sampling online.

"Some fans I talk to think it's great. Everyone I know personally who is a fan thought it was awesome, and there's people online who didn't think it was great.

"Here's the thing, the movie's going to come out and either they're going to feel like, 'Wow, I loved this in one format, and I feel really inspired by how it became a live-action version', or they're not gonna like it, and casting will be a piece of that, but it's not going to be the only piece."

THOMAS PETER Danish actor Pilou Asbaek (Game of Thrones) stars as Batou.

Arad said he and those making the film were all fans, and the approach felt right to them.

"The internet is frequently sort of a one-way thing right now. I am not a big social media guy so I don't know. We'll see, we really just hope to win them over because they like the movie."

Style direction - the 1980s

Arad said that while many futuristic films go for an unpleasant, dystopian look, producers wanted Ghost in the Shell to look more beautiful, with "tonnes of grime" at the same time.

It's part of the reason they chose director Rupert Sanders, known largely for his dark fantasy film Snow White and the Huntsman.

"We knew he would take a different approach. There's an off-dreamy realism you see in his commercials or Snow White and the Huntsman.

"He's such an artist, that's the big thing. There were just other versions of the future we didn't want and Rupert was the guy to solve that."

Arad said there were a great number of ways in which they were taking cues from the 1980s for the film.

"David Bowie and [1976 film] The Man Who Fell to Earth was a bit of an inspiration too I think, someone 'other worldly'.

"I think when it comes together it's not going to feel so expressed in retro, but there are certain things about '80s design which Rupert was keying off of, which is just a lot bulkier, combustion engines, people's clothing doesn't feel uniform.

"The danger of a futuristic movie is uniformity."

Ghost in the Shell is set to release in New Zealand cinemas on March 30, 2017.