‘Snow White’ director Rupert Sanders to take on live-action ‘Ghost in the Shell’ remake?

For years, Dreamworks has been been trying to get a Hollywood version of the cult animated film “Ghost in the Shell” off the ground. The studio has already gone through several screenwriters (including “Shutter Island” scribe Laeta Kalogridis and “The Hoax” writer William Wheeler), but now appears to be zeroing in on a director.

According to Deadline, “Snow White and the Huntsman” director Rupert Sanders is being tapped by Dreamworks to adapt the 1995 Japanese anime classic. Sanders currently has a number of projects in development, but the lure of a Steven Spielberg-produced “Ghost” remake is probably enough to put those on hold.

Sci-fi movies have been hugely influenced by the classic anime film over the past 20 years, so it's no surprise that Hollywood are finally attempting to tackle the property. The Wachowskis have repeatedly cited the film as being a huge influence on “The Matrix” movies, and countless other filmmakers have been shaped by the cyberpunk police thriller.

Here are three reasons why Rupert Sanders is the right guy for to direct “Ghost in the Shell.”

He’s got the visual flair needed to bring the cyberpunk future to life

Although reviews for “Snow White and the Huntsman” were mixed, even the most jaded critic praised the movie’s striking visuals and unique style. Nearly 20 years on, “Ghost in the Shell” remains one of the most beautiful and detailed animated films ever created -- a fact that the Hollywood version will definitely need to pay homage to.

Former commercial director Ridley Scott’s style was seen as a great fit for the seminal cyberpunk film “Blade Runner.” Similarly, Sanders (an award winning advertising director himself) is a great choice for “Ghost in the Shell.” It may not be a coincidence that Charlize Theron’s milk bath scene in “Snow White” is more than a little reminiscent of “Ghost in the Shell's” eye-catching opening credits.

He’s successfully adapted weird comic book material in the past

By Western standards, the “Ghost in the Shell” movie is pretty out there. It’s full of naked cyborg police officers, hackers hacking people’s memories, and deep philosophical questions. Amazingly, Shirow Masamune’s manga on which the film was based is even more strange and would never make it into a Hollywood movie.

Thankfully, Sanders seems up to the task of making weird source material slightly more accessible. Before hitting it big with “Snow White and the Huntsman,” Sanders wrote and directed a short film based on Charles Burns’ strange and disturbing comic book series “Black Hole,” a 1970s-set story about a sexually transmitted disease that causes teenagers to become horribly mutated. Sanders’ very not safe for work short film (watch it here) was created as a part of the director’s pitch to studio Paramount for a feature film version.

1. He’s already got a good handle on science fiction

Thanks to “Snow White and the Huntsman,” Sanders is probably best known in Hollywood for his sword and sorcery chops. However, the filmmaker is no stranger to science fiction, either.

In 2010, Sander directed a big-budget advertisement for the futuristic Xbox 360 game “Halo 3: ODST.” The high-profile video game campaign won him two Golden Lions at the world-renowned Cannes Lions International Advertising Festival. He also directed sci-fi infused TV spots for “Halo 3” and the recently released PlayStation 4.

Though he hasn’t yet done sci-fi on the big screen, Sanders has exactly the kind of background someone tackling a live-action “Ghost in the Shell” movie should have.

Sanders' selection is sure to ruffle a few feathers, particularly amongst hardcore "Ghost in the Shell" fans. However, the reality of the situation is pretty straightforward: Sanders is one of the only filmmakers currently working in Hollywood who could conceivably do this right. Sure, other directors might seem more suited to the task (see: The Wachowskis), but those filmmakers already have their hands full with other projects.

If "Ghost in the Shell" is getting the remake treatment now, better it be in Sanders's hands than someone else's.