Deunan Knute instead of the Major? So, my wife and I are a little on the "WTF" side of Scarlett being cast as the Major for the live action adaptation of GITS. We're big fans of Shirow's work in general, and we're wondering why Appleseed, and specifically the role of Deunan Knute for Johansson, was swept under the rug. She's american, she's blonde, she's an action hero... perfect fit for Johansson, at least much better than the Major. I would have been THRILLED for that movie instead of worried about this one.

Spielberg himself stated that the protagonist of this upcoming film CHAPPIE was based on Briareos, so Hollywood DOES have knowledge of the Appleseed universe.