Back in January, it was confirmed that actress Scarlett Johansson will star in DreamWorks' Ghost in the Shell adaptation, based on the beloved Japanese anime series, which has Rupert Sanders (Snow White and the Huntsman) set to direct. The studio handed out an April 14, 2017 release date just a few days later, but we haven't heard anything about this long-awaited project since then. While doing press for Avengers: Age of Ultron, Scarlett Johansson revealed that production will start in early 2016.

"It's happening. It will be shooting the beginning of next year, so I think we start production January or February and it's me and Rupert [Sanders]; and that's all I know."

The original anime centers on a woman who is a member of a covert ops team specializing in fighting cyber-crime. DreamWorks has been developing the project since 2008, but it seems the studio is finally ready to move forward with this project. Bill Wheeler wrote the screenplay, with Avi Arad and Steven Paul producing and Mark Sourian serving as an executive producer.

DreamWorks' Steven Spielberg has long wanted to get this project off the ground, but it isn't known if he will be involved as a producer or an executive producer. Are you looking forward to Scarlett Johansson taking the lead for Ghost in the Shell? Do you think the production will actually go off without a hitch after six years in development? Let us know what you think below.