20 years after Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence released in theaters, the hit Japanese animated cyberpunk film will return to the big screen in North America.
GKIDS announced this week that it has acquired the North American theatrical rights to Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, and will re-release the film in theaters this summer in celebration of its 20th anniversary. Before its summer theatrical run, the 4K restoration will premiere at the Chicago Critics Film Festival at the Music Box Theatre this May.
Written and directed by Mamoru Oshii, the film serves as a standalone sequel to Oshii's 1995 film Ghost in the Shell and is loosely based on the manga by Masamune Shirow. Specifically, the story is loosely based on the chapter "Robot Rondo" from the manga, with elements from "Phantom Fund" mixed in as well.
Below is the official synopsis of Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, courtesy of GKIDS Films:
In the year 2032, the line between humans and machines has been blurred almost beyond distinction. A string of murders perpetrated by a prototype android model has drawn the attention of Public Security Section 9, a unit specializing in counter cyber-terrorism. With none of the victims' families pressing charges, suspicions arise regarding the nature of the androids and their production company. In the course of the investigation, the almost entirely cyber-bodied agent Batou, and his still human partner Togusa embark on a journey through a technological dystopia, taking on ferocious Yakuza thugs, devious hackers, government bureaucrats, and corporate criminals to uncover the shocking truth behind the crime.
Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence was originally released in Japan in March 2004 before making its way to North American theaters in September of that year. The film earned $317,000 during its opening weekend at the U.S. box office, but went on to eventually gross $1 million -- exceeding Go Fish Pictures' expectation.
The film received mixed reception from critics, although it is certified fresh on Rotten Tomatoes with a 65% Critics Score. "The animation is lovely, but the plot is complex to the point of inscrutability, leaving Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence both original and numbing," the critics consensus reads. Fans seemed to enjoy it a bit more with a 80% audience score.
There have been numerous Ghost in the Shell adaptations based on the seinen manga series of the same name. This includes the 1995 film as well as this 2004 sequel, the 2002 television series, Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex, and its 2020 follow-up, Ghost in the Shell: SAC_2045.