Feature Film
Ghost in the Shell
2017
Filmed In
Wellington
Towns & Areas
Stone Street Studios · Wellington central business district
The Story
A visually spectacular, live-action cyberpunk adaptation of the iconic Japanese manga. In the near future, a cyber-enhanced super-soldier begins to question her past while hunting down a dangerous hacker who targets cybernetic minds.
The Stars
Scarlett Johansson, Takeshi Kitano, and Juliette Binoche. This ensemble anchors a film built almost entirely around Wellington's studio-built, neon-lit vision of a near-future city.
Behind the Lens
Rupert Sanders. Sanders came to this adaptation from a visual-effects-heavy background, having previously directed Snow White and the Huntsman.
Why NZ?
Wellington's Stone Street Studios provided the state-of-the-art infrastructure required for this effects-heavy blockbuster. The city's central business district was transformed into a neon-soaked, futuristic metropolis with towering holographic advertisements. The transformation shows just how convincingly a real, working city centre can be reimagined entirely through lighting and set design. The transformation of a real, working city centre into a fictional future metropolis remains one of the shoot's most talked-about achievements.
On Set
Scarlett Johansson relocated her partner and young child to Wellington for the six-month shoot. Cast members have since named a visit to the Zealandia eco-sanctuary as their single favourite experience of the entire production. The finished cityscape convinced many viewers it was shot on an entirely built, futuristic set.
Legacy
Based on the influential Japanese manga and anime of the same name, the live-action adaptation leaned heavily on Wellington's visual effects industry to realise its cyberpunk setting. The transformation shows just how far a working city street can be pushed with lighting and set design alone.
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