Back in November, it came out that Sam Riley was in talks to play The Laughing Man in Rupert Sanders’ adaptation of GHOST IN THE SHELL, but it looks like that didn’t work out, because Hollywood Reporter is now saying the role will be filled by BOARDWALK EMPIRE and HANNIBAL alum Michael Pitt.
Pitt, who first broke out as a sociopathic youngster in MURDER BY NUMBERS over a decade ago, was terrific as the pre-mutilation Mason Verger on HANNIBAL (Joe Anderson took over as the disfigured Merger in Season 3). Effete and mannered to a T, Pitt almost managed to be too big for the show, which, if you’ve watched it, is no small feat. Unlike a lot of his contemporaries, he tends to project an unsettling vibe and seems destined for villain roles like this. He should be a great fit for The Laughing Man, who will likely be mostly seen via distorted imagery on computer monitors.
Pitt, like other stylized performers, can sometimes seem unfit for the projects he’s in, but I’m thinking he’ll be a strong villain for Scarlett Johansson’s revamped Motoko Kusanagi. What’re your thoughts on him as The Laughing Man?
GHOST IN THE SHELL finishes downloading on March 31st, 2017.
