If you meant which film preceded the anime series then it would
have been Ghost in the Shell itself and then Ghost in the Shell 2 :
Innocence which spawned the series Ghost in the Shell : Stand Alone
Complex 1st and 2nd Gigs then the film Solid State Society . The
Manga, by Masamune Shirow , came before them all and was later
adapted into the films and series as well as three prose books
.
The movies and TV series are set in alternate universes. Ghost
in the Shell is set in 2029 and Ghost in the Shell 2: Innocence
takes place 3 years later in 2032. The television series starts off
in the year 2030. However, the third film Ghost in the Shell:
S.A.C. Solid State Society follows up on many of the events that
ended the second season Ghost in the Shell: S.A.C. 2nd GIG.
The films and series were set within different timelines ~ see
related link below .
