'Ghost in the Shell'

A live-action adaptation of Masamune Shirow's "Ghost in the Shell" has been in the works for some time, but it finally looks like the film is moving forward.

According to a Variety report, DreamWorks has hired Laeta Kalogridis to write the screenplay. Jamie Moss was originally hired as screenwriter when DreamWorks bought the property last year.

Kalogridis wrote and executive produced Martin Scorsese's upcoming thriller "Shutter Island," which stars Leonardo DiCaprio and hits theaters in February.

The producers behind the planned 3-D film include Steven Paul, Avi Arad and Steven Spielberg, whose personal interest in the story reportedly helped DreamWorks land the rights.

"'Ghost in the Shell' is one of my favorite stories," Spielberg explained last year. "It's a genre that has arrived, and we enthusiastically welcome it to DreamWorks."

“Ghost in the Shell” follows the exploits of Motoko Kusanagi, a covert operative who works for a counter-terrorist organization called Public Security Section 9 in a futuristic, cyberpunk Japan. Her cyborg nature causes her to question her humanity while she hunts down terrorists. It is widely considered to be one of the most influential manga of the last thirty years.

Since it was first published in 1989, “Ghost in the Shell” has been adapted into an animated TV series, three video games and three animated movies.

The forthcoming DreamWorks live action adaptation is tentatively scheduled for 2011.

More news to come! Catch ya' later!
Sources: First Showing, The Geek Files, MTV News