Animation and Nissan Concepts Take Center Stage In Upcoming Film - VIDEO ENHANCED STORY

TOKYO - August 4, 2006: Japanese automaker Nissan and animation studio Production I.G. have collaborated for the remake version of the full-length feature "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex – Solid State Society."

The science-fiction film stars both a former special agent and two concept vehicles: the Nissan Sport Concept and Infiniti Kuraza (both originally introduced in 2005 at the Detroit Auto Show). The movie, scheduled to debut in Japan this fall and in the U.S. and Europe in 2007, was originally produced in 1995 and has influenced numerous blockbuster films, including "The Matrix."

CLICK HERE to watch the movie trailer in Japanese (no big deal, the animation is the best part, and animation is the same in any language).

CLICK HERE to watch more trailer footage...also in Japanese.

CLICK HERE to watch selected animation scenes with Nissan concept cars (MOS).

CLICK HERE for the Nissan Sport Concept promotional video originally presented at the 2005 NY Auto show (it's in English, sort of). Has great techno music.

MORE INFO ABOUT THE FILM:

TOKYO, A.D. 2034 - It's been two years since Motoko Kusanagi left Section 9, the special police force of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission. Togusa is now the new leader of the considerably expanded unit. Section 9 confronts a string of mysterious cases, and investigations reveal that a wizard hacker named the Puppeteer is behind all of them.

This is the opening setup for the science fiction full-length animated feature "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex - Solid State Society," produced by Production I.G, a major Japanese animation studio. In a rare collaborative event between an animation studio and an automaker, the full-length feature will introduce animated versions of two concept vehicles - The Nissan Sport Concept and Infiniti Kuraza. The Sport Concept, unveiled at the 2005 New York International Auto Show, and Infiniti Kuraza, shown at the 2005 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, are driven by Section 9's team members.

The film will air in Japan in autumn and also be available on DVD at that time. The film will be available on DVD in the US and Europe in 2007.

"Ghost in the Shell" is a series based on the graphic novel of the same title by Shirow Masamune. The novel was animated for movie theaters as "Ghost in the Shell" in 1995 by director Mamoru Oshii, and reached No. 1 on the Billboard US video chart the following year. It has since influenced many Hollywood movies, including "The Matrix," directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski.

Responding to worldwide demand, Production I.G released a sequel in 2004 entitled "Innocence", that became the first Japanese animated film nominated for the Palme D'Or at the Cannes Film Festival. The movie received rave reviews, consolidating director Oshii's reputation as a world-class animation director.

In order to expand the reach of "Ghost in the Shell," Production I.G created the TV series "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" in 2002. The series, which is directed by Kenji Kamiyama, has gained fans around the world and has already sold over 1.5 million DVDs in Japan alone.

Production I.G's other major projects include the movie "Jin-Roh - The Wolf Brigade," which has won various prizes in Japan and abroad, the TV series "Blood+," a hyperaction road battle that starts in Okinawa and circles the world, and the movie/TV project "xxxHOLiC," based on the popular comic books written by world-famous atelier CLAMP. The studio also produced the animation sequence of Quentin Tarantino's "Kill Bill: Vol. 1."

To commemorate the "Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex" collaboration between Production I.G. and Nissan, Nissan will hold a special public exhibition at the Nissan Gallery in Tokyo.