Sam Riley, who earned acclaim for his performance in "Control," is reportedly in talks to star opposite Scarlett Johansson in the live-action adaptation of "Ghost in the Shell."

Deadline cautions that there's no agreement, and "the situation is still fluid," but notes both the actor and DreamWorks Pictures are hoping to strike a deal.

Based on Masamune Shirow's seminal cyberpunk manga and the subsequent anime franchise, "Ghost in the Shell" centers on Public Security Section 9, a counter-cyberterrorist organization in near-future Japan led by Major Motoko Kusanagi. Riley reportedly would play the Laughing Man, the corporate terrorist hacker with a fascination with J.D. Salinger's "The Catcher in the Rye."

Rupert Sanders ("Snow White and the Huntsman") is attached to direct from a script that's being reworked by "Straight Outta Compton" writer Jonathan Herman. "Lucy" actor Pilou Asbæk boarded the project just last week as Batou.

Riley's credits also include "Brighton Rock," "Byzantium" and "Maleficent." He'll next been seen playing Mr. Darcy in "Pride and Prejudice and Zombies."

"Ghost in the Shell" is expected to begin production early next year, in time for release on March 31, 2017.