Two additional products have been announced that will add to the considerable throw-weight of the Ghost in the Shell property this year. Manga Entertainment has announced a December release date for the Special Edition DVD of the first Ghost in the Shell movie, originally released in 1996. The title has sold over 1 million DVD and VHS units since its release in the U.S.; it was first anime video to reach Billboard's #1 video slot at the time of its release. The Ghost in the Shell Special Edition DVD will have additional features, including enhanced audio/visual and language options.
The Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex Playstation 2 game, a '3rd person shooter,' will be released in the U.S. in November by Bandai America.
The new DVD edition of the original movie and the PS2 GITS: SAC game are only two parts of a major series of Ghost in the Shell events this fall.
Manga and Bandai have begun jointly releasing the seven-volume Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex anime series; the second volume is due out this month (see 'Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex DVD Release Details').
The movie sequel, Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence, is going into wide release (for an anime feature) this month, behind a substantial television ad campaign (see 'TV Campaign for GITS 2: Innocence').
In October, Dark Horse will release the Ghost in the Shell 2nd Edition graphic novel (see 'Dark Horse To Publish Uncut Ghost in the Shell').