Mamoru Oshii Shares His Aspirations for Ghost in the Shell 3

      Two decades have been favorable to Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, the sole animated film to compete at Cannes and recently honored with a 20th-anniversary 4K restoration. However, Mamoru Oshii hasn’t completed his work on the project, recently expressing, “There is something I want to do for the third film. There is only one thing I have left to accomplish. If I can do it, I would like to pursue it.” [Mantan Web]

      The franchise's substantial cultural influence in both the East and West suggests a path forward. (We can view the unique live-action remake starring Scarlett Johansson as a minor moment in its history.) Still, during the Niigata International Animation Film Festival last night, Innocence's producer and Production I.G. chairman Mitsuhisa Ishikawa disclosed that the film's production costs—2 billion yen, equivalent to over $13 million USD—have not yet been recouped after two decades. Nonetheless, the desire for continuation is evident:

      “If we don’t recover the production costs, there won’t be a third movie. I want to raise awareness about this. I want to see it too. If you watch Innocence, you’ll get a clue (for the third movie). If we create a sequel to this film, we can recoup everything.”

      That final statement implies a willingness to move ahead with a third film as a means of recovering costs from both productions, although translation complications may arise. Regardless, public demand could be the driving force—at a time when legacy sequels are being produced for properties that essentially no one asked for, is the finale of a significant anime and sci-fi landmark such an unusual request? I’ll allow a hint of optimism to emerge.