How Ghost In The Shell Created Scarlett Johansson's Nude Suit

If you were hoping to get an eyeful of Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming adaptation of Ghost in the Shell, this might be the saddest news you'll read all day.

In the movie, Johansson plays Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg who leads a special division of the Japanese National Public Safety Commission. Fans of the original know that the Major often appears to be naked while she's on the job, but she really isn't. She wears a thermoptic bodysuit that allows her to become invisible.

According to IGN, producers of the live-action movie knew they wanted the suit to be a big part of the flick, but they had to find a way that wouldn't draw the ire of the MPAA ratings board and also fit the tone of their vision. So they came up with an elegant solution.

Instead of relying on CG effects to recreate the Major's nude look, costume designers worked with Peter Jackson's Weta Digital to build a form-fitting costume for Johansson that makes it obvious that she isn't actually running around in her birthday gear. Designers built a completely silicone suit for Johansson using digital scans of her body, and the entire process took about two months.

"We're not actually trying to pretend she's naked," explained producer Avi Arad. "The suit emulates some of the ideas of the panel lines. When you see it the movie you're not meant to think that that she's naked."

Although it sounds like wearing something like that would be a little constrictive, Weta's Richard Taylor said Johansson "appeared to be very comfortable in it and [she] was very complimentary of it and performed in it beautifully."

And while there's an obviously sexual element to the Major's look in the anime movie, that's not really meant to be the case here. The thermoptic suit is supposed to be a "very military and functional" outfit, and Johansson told IGN that her character is too confused about her identity to be focused on her appearance.

"I think she's very removed from her sexuality," Johansson said. "She's in the midst of an identity crisis... She has such a murky idea of who she was that how would she even know what she likes or who she likes? She also has no heart–human heart, anyway. So if you would imagine if that could be related to sensuality or sexuality, that part is also missing for her."

Of course, if you were really hoping to see more of Johansson, there are other options out there (most notably the 2013 sci-fi flick Under the Skin).

Ghost in the Shell hits theaters March 31, 2017. Meanwhile, watch the cryptic first teasers.