Scarlett Johansson to star in 'Ghost in the Shell'

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 5 (UPI) -- Scarlett Johansson has signed on to Ghost in the Shell.

Several websites report the 30-year-old actress is confirmed to portray Motoko Kusanagi in a live-action remake of the Masamune Shirow manga. Johansson was first linked to the project in October, and allegedly offered $10 million to accept the role.

Ghost in the Shell debuted in 1989, and inspired several animated films and a television series. The story follows Major Motoko Kusanagi, a cyborg who works to counter cyber-crime and terrorist attacks for the fictional law enforcement division Public Security Section 9.

Steven Spielberg acquired the rights to adapt the manga at DreamWorks in 2009, and originally planned for the film to be shot in 3D. Snow White and the Huntsman director Rupert Sanders will helm the movie, with Bill Wheeler as writer.

Johansson most recently appeared as the title character in Luc Besson thriller Lucy. The actress is scheduled to reprise Black Widow in Avengers: Age of Ultron in May, and will star in new Cohen Brothers comedy Hail, Caesar! in 2016.