Ghost in the Shell (1995 film)

Ghost in the Shell is a 1995 adult Japanese-animated tech noir cyberpunk action thriller film directed by Mamoru Oshii from a screenplay by Kazunori Itō. The film is based on the 1989–90 manga of the same name by Masamune Shirow. It stars the voices of Atsuko Tanaka, Akio Ōtsuka, and Iemasa Kayumi. It is a Japanese-British international co-production between Kodansha, Bandai Visual and Manga Entertainment, with animation provided by Production I.G.

The film is set in 2029 in the fictional New Port City and follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg public-security agent who hunts an enigmatic hacker/ghost known as "the Puppet Master". The narrative incorporates philosophical themes that focus on self and identity in a technologically advanced world. The music, composed by Kenji Kawai, includes vocals in classical Japanese. The film's visuals were created through a combination of traditional cel animation and CGI animation.

Upon release, Ghost in the Shell received positive reviews, with critics praising its narrative, visuals, and musical score. The film was initially considered a box-office failure before developing a cult following on home video. Since then, it has grown in esteem and is now considered to be one of the greatest anime and science-fiction films of all time. It has inspired filmmakers such as The Wachowskis, creators of The Matrix franchise, and James Cameron, who described it as "the first truly adult animation film to reach a level of literary and visual excellence." At the 24th Annie Awards (1996), the film received numerous accolades, and was nominated in five categories—including Best Animated Feature—giving it the most nominations for a Japanese animated film at the Annie Awards until both The Boy and the Heron and Suzume took over the position (with seven) at the 51st Annie Awards (2024).

An updated remastered version of the film, Ghost in the Shell 2.0, was released in 2008, featuring newly added digital effects, additional 3D animation, and new audio. Oshii also directed Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, released in 2004, which was billed as a separate work and a non-canonical sequel. Hollywood made a live-action reinterpretation of the original film in 2017, bearing an identical title, directed by Rupert Sanders and starring Scarlett Johansson.