DreamWorks Acquires 'Ghost in the Shell'

(FROM VARIETY) – DreamWorks has acquired rights to the Japanese manga Ghost in the Shell and plans to develop it into a live-action feature. Steven Spielberg, who took personal interest in the property, is said to have played an integral role in the deal. The story is about a member of a covert ops unit of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission that specializes in fighting technology-related crime. Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell was first published in 1989 and has gone on to spawn two additional manga editions, three anime films, an anime TV series, and three videogames. The second anime, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, was released in the U.S. by DreamWorks in 2004. (Variety)