Ghost in the Shell (攻殻機動隊, Kōkaku Kidōtai, literally "Mobile Armored Riot Police") is a Japanese multimedia science fiction and mecha franchise created in 1989 by Masamune Shirow. It is comprised of: Shirow's original manga (1989/1991, 2002 and 2003); two animated films (1995 and 2004) directed by Mamoru Oshii; two anime series (Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex in 2002-2003 and Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd Gig in 2004-2005), and their sequel OVA (Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. Solid State Society in 2006); as well as several video games and novels.
The series focuses on the activities of the counter-terrorist organization Public Security Section 9 (公安9課), set in a futuristic, cyberpunk Japan.
An American live action adaptation was released in 2017. The movie is directed by Rupert Sanders and written by Jamie Moss, William Wheeler and Ehren Kruger. The film stars Scarlett Johannson, Kitano Takeshi, Michael Pitt, Pilou Asbæk, Chin Han and Juliette Binoche.
