GHOST IN THE SHELL BOUGHT BY DREAMWORKS

DreamWorks has acquired the rights to GHOST IN THE SHELL, and plans to turn the Japanese manga into a 3-D live-action feature, per VARIETY.

Steven Spielberg took an active role in the deal, telling VARIETY, "GHOST IN THE SHELL is one of my favorite stories. It's a genre that has arrived, and we enthusiastically welcome it to DreamWorks."

The story follows a member of a cover ops team within the Japanese National Public Safety Commission that specializes in fighting technology-based crime.

It was first published in 1989 from author Masamune Shirow, with two additional manga editions, three anime films, an anime TV series and three video games.

The second anime, GHOST IN THE SHELL 2: INNOCENCE was released in 2004 in the U.S. by DreamWorks.

Avi Arad, Ari Arad and Steven Paul, all of Seaside Ent., will produce
and brought the project to the studio. Jamie Moss will write the
adaptation.

Universal and Sony were also interested in the story, but Spielberg made
it happen at DreamWorks.

Avi Arad also produced all three SPIDER-MAN films, the X-MEN films, the
two FANTASTIC FOUR movies as well as the upcoming IRON MAN and THE
INCREDIBLE HULK.

Moss wrote the recently released STREET KINGS.

Courtesy of Dan Sarto.