There are currently two Ghost in the Shell anniversaries to celebrate: the 30th anniversary of the original Ghost in the Shell film, which was released in 1995 in Japan, and the 20th anniversary of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, which premiered in 2004. The 4K remastered version of both anime films will get a special two-week run in Japanese theaters to commemorate both anniversaries.
Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence 4K Remaster Posters
The 4K versions of both films were initially made for the Blu-ray release, but this will be the first time this remastered version of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence will be getting a semi-wide theatrical release after the first film got a 4K screening in 2021 in both Japan and the U.S.
The director of both films, Mamoru Oshii, released a comment at a special screening of the 4K version of Innocence:
“This 4K remaster of “Innocence” is the first time I’ve watched the film all the way through in 20 years … maybe the first time on the big screen! I’m ecstatic that it was so pristine and beautifully done.
I certainly can feel the power of 4K. Back then, it was impossible to reproduce the fine details of the hand-drawn and CG drawings created over years on film. Watching the film again made me recall those days and how sick I got after “Innocence” was completed (laughs). I was in bed for about two months and couldn’t stand well, and I had put some of that same energy into the film. In order to create something beautiful, you have to overcome something adverse. I felt an appealing sense of emotion or decadence from the film in my rewatch.
I hope everyone will see it in the theater.”
Ghost in the Shell and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence will be screening in Toho Theaters across Japan from February 28 for a limited two-week run.
Source: TOHO on X (formerly Twitter)
