Ghost in the Shell 3 Could Happen, but There’s a Catch

Summary

Mamoru Oshii and Production I.G have hinted at potential Ghost in the Shell 3 but face a $18 million hurdle.
The cost of Innocence was 2 billion yen, making it a milestone to overcome to greenlight a sequel.
Despite challenges, the franchise's reputation for resilience gives fans hope that Ghost in the Shell 3 could still happen.

Title	Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
Director	Mamoru Oshii
Studio	Production I.G
Release Date	03/06/2004

It’s been over two decades now since Mamoru Oshii directed Innocence, the underrated sequel to 1995’s Ghost in the Shell, Oshii’s cult classic based on the manga by Shirow Masamune. Yet despite the years that have passed, recent comments by Oshii and a producer at Production I.G have opened a window through which a third film might be made, albeit with a price tag.

Earlier in March, Oshii attended a 20th Anniversary event for Innocence alongside lead actor Akio Otsuka, the Japanese voice of Batou, wherein Oshii discussed the possibility of a third film. He stated at the time that it almost happened and that the project “did not come to fruition” but expressed that he remained interested in directing it should the opportunity present itself.

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By Oluwafemi Famutimi

What’s Standing in Oshii’s Way?

Were the story just left at that, there wouldn’t be much to say on the matter. Over the years, there have been countless enticing anime projects put in creative limbo, from Ninja Scroll 2 to Despera, and Ghost in the Shell 3 has had less substantive pre-production than either of those two. When the status of such dormant projects is brought up, any director’s stated desire to bring them to fruition is the PR equivalent of saying “Yeah, that would be cool.”

But then, less than a month after Oshii’s statement, Production I.G’s Mitsuhisa Ishikawa said something that put the possibility of a new sequel into perspective. On Saturday, at the Niigata Animation Film Festival, the co-founder/producer said that the only thing preventing the film from being greenlit was the task of recouping the cost of Oshii’s last Ghost in the Shell film. According to Ishikawa, the cost of Innocence was around 2 billion yen, or around $18 million.

How Much More to Earn A Sequel?

For the most eager Ghost in the Shell fans out there, the next question that comes to mind is likely some variation of “How much more money do they need?” Unfortunately, even 20 years later, it’s still a ways away. According to Box Office Mojo, Innocence made a total of $9,811,571 worldwide, with a little over $7.8 million from just Japan alone. There was a re-release last year, but it only accounts for an added gross of $311,744, culminating in a little over $10 million total.

Given the recent anniversary, there were screenings of both of Oshii’s Ghost in the Shell films in Japan, but even without concrete box office data, a two-week screening wouldn’t have made a dent. Disheartening as it may be for one eager to see a sequel, it’s not too surprising either. The original Ghost in the Shell wasn’t a huge box-office success in Japan, but it became a sensation worldwide thanks to home video releases, making it the classic it is remembered as today.

Could Ghost in the Shell 3 Still Happen?

If there’s any hopeful takeaway from Ishikawa’s comments, it’s that not only is there a clear goalpost to making Ghost in the Shell 3 a reality, but there is also passion behind the idea. So while box office numbers might make it seem fruitless, the franchise’s reputation for coming back again and again should be a sign that anything is possible. Like with the original film’s success overseas, it might come down to the fans. Ishikawa said it best:

“I want to see [Ghost in the Shell 3] too, so please spread the word about Innocence.”

When people rave about Ghost in the Shell, they tend to talk about either the 1995 original or the TV series, Stand Alone Complex, both of which are rightfully lauded for their artistry. Innocence, on the other hand, tends to be the niche favorite in an already comparably niche franchise, but as we’ve written before, it’s a severely underrated film. In recent years, however, that has started to change thanks in part to the re-releases, but also because people are talking about it more.

Innocence is perhaps the trippiest entry in this franchise to date, bearing a grim and depressive atmosphere so thick that it feels dreamlike. Not only that, it’s the only entry in the series where the Major is not the protagonist, which lets Batou shine as a result, creating a wholly unique kind of addition to the franchise. Nonetheless, its philosophical ponderings are quintessentially Ghost in the Shell, as is its envelope-pushing visual style.

Ok, but Should Ghost in the Shell 3 Still Happen?

From the 2010s and onward, Ghost in the Shell’s recent entries have faced a bit more scrutiny. Arise gets praise for its action design, music, and expectedly clean visual aesthetic, but its writing tends to lack the focus, intrigue, or raw existentialism of past entries. Ghost in the Shell SAC_2045 had a lot going for it, including the return of director/writer Kenji Kamiyama, but its 3D art style was a tough sell, even for such a thoroughly nostalgic project.

Production I.G is also not the same studio it once was, a fate true of many legendary anime studios, and though that’s hardly a death sentence, an over-reliance on nostalgia can be. The FLCL sequels are a prime example of trying to capture lighting in a bottle again and again, and Production I.G was all over them. Even some fans on forums interpret Ishikawa’s comments as an underhanded tactic to get more sales.

Of course, that might seem a tad harsh, but it’s not hard to understand some pessimism. Art should be finite and perhaps the Mamoru Oshii Ghost in the Shell should be left alone. Some might even say the same about the franchise in general, though speaking as a fan, let’s wait until after Science Saru’s upcoming series to make that judgment call. In the meantime, now’s a great opportunity to watch Innocence and share it with others. Whether it gets us a sequel or not, it’s never too late to appreciate a good movie.