Masamune Shirow's Ghost in the Shell was one of the key manga/anime properties of the 1990s, and it appears as if the property will be staging a major comeback in 2004.  The Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex TV series debuts on the Adult Swim block of the Cartoon Network in August (see 'Adult Swim Announces 3 Anime Series for '04'), while the new GIS feature film, Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, hits the theaters in Japan on March 6, 2004 -- in plenty of time to ensure a US release before the end of the year.  Dreamworks, which has acquired the US rights to Ghost in the Shell: Innocence, made sure that Satoshi Kon's Tokyo Godfathers opened in the US in 2003 in time for Oscar consideration, and it is likely that the studio will do the same for GIS: Innocence.

Meanwhile Dark Horse is continuing to release Ghost in the Shell manga here in the States, while The Magic Box website reports that Sony is set to debut a Ghost in the Shell: Stand Alone Complex PS2 game in Japan in March. 

The Ghost in the Shell revival is well underway in Japan, where the GIS: Stand Alone Complex TV series has been extended for a second season (see 'Another Season For Stand Alone Complex').  With Bandai releasing the first season of Stand Alone Complex here in the States and solid TV exposure in the offing, this property is set to reignite in a major way.