‘Ghost in the Shell’ Shortlisted For Oscars Nomination

Earlier this year, Hollywood unveiled its live-action take on Ghost in the Shell to mixed reviews. The film, which was headed up by Scarlett Johansson, sputtered at the box office. However, it looks like the film may be in the running for one coveted award.

Believe it or not, Ghost in the Shell is on the shortlist for an Academy Award.

According to The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences, Ghost in the Shell is on its shortlist for Best Makeup and Hair Styling (via ANN). The body confirmed its new list on Tuesday, and the live-action anime adaptation made the cut along with six other films.

Right now, Ghost in the Shell has to compete with the other shortlisted nominees within its category. Bright, Darkest Hour, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, I, Tonya, Wonder, and Victoria & Abdul were also selected by The Academy’s members. Each of the seven films were selected after industry members nominated their top nominees after viewing 10-minute clips of an array of eligible films.

Ghost in the Shell may have disappointed die-hard fans of the franchise, but it was praised for its rich style. The film won a Hollywood Professional Award for color grading in November, and it was nominated for Outstanding Visual Effects. Ghost in the Shell was also shortlisted for the Academy Awards’ visual effect prize, but it has since been eliminated.

If you want to learn more about the live-action adaptation, you can read up on its synopsis below. The film is based off a hugely popular manga series created by Masamune Shirow. The cyberpunk franchise was then adapted into a genre-defining anime film which director Mamoru Oshii oversaw.

“Based on the internationally-acclaimed sci-fi property, Ghost in the Shell follows the Major (Scarlett Johansson), a special ops, one-of-a-kind human-cyborg hybrid, who leads the elite task force Section 9. Devoted to stopping the most dangerous criminals and extremists, Section 9 is faced with an enemy whose singular goal is to wipe out Hanka Robotic’s advancements in cyber technology.”

Do you think Ghost in the Shell should be in the running for an Oscar? Hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to let me know and talk all things comics, k-pop, and anime!