The films of Studio Ghibli are beloved for many reasons... but there's no denying that their food is one-of-a-kind! So it's no wonder that there's already a series of cookbooks based on the classic anime movies, recreating dishes that families can make together. This week, a new book joins the series, featuring recipes from and inspired by Kiki's Delivery Service . This latest installment in the Children's Cooking Picture Book: Studio Ghibli's Dining Table series features art from the 1989 classic, as well as familiar recipes you can try at home. Notably, there's a recipe for that iconic herring and pumpkin pie: Related: Howl’s Moving Castle-Inspired Ghibli Park 15-Second Promo Released There's also a recipe for rice porridge as seen in the film. Additionally, you can team up with your family to make Kiki -inspired treats, like Jiji cake pops and red bow snacks. This book is the fourth in the series,...
- 3/13/2024
- by Kara Dennison
- Crunchyroll
Max will continue to be the studio’s exclusive streaming home in the United States with tiles including “My Neighbor Totoro,” “Spirited Away,” and more.
Thanks in no small part to the prevalence of streaming media, anime has become an increasingly important part of the American entertainment landscape in recent years. When Warner Bros. Discovery launched the HBO Max streaming service in 2020, the iconic films of Studio Ghibili were included in the catalog. On Tuesday, Wbd announced that it had extended its deal with the Japanese studio and that the recent Oscar-winning film “The Boy and the Heron” will stream on HBO Max’s successive streaming service Max.
HBO Max became the first streaming service to carry Studio Ghibli titles when it launched in 2020. This new multi-year extension will keep the iconic Japanese studio’s films on Max in the United States. Recent Oscar winner “The Boy and the Heron...
Thanks in no small part to the prevalence of streaming media, anime has become an increasingly important part of the American entertainment landscape in recent years. When Warner Bros. Discovery launched the HBO Max streaming service in 2020, the iconic films of Studio Ghibili were included in the catalog. On Tuesday, Wbd announced that it had extended its deal with the Japanese studio and that the recent Oscar-winning film “The Boy and the Heron” will stream on HBO Max’s successive streaming service Max.
HBO Max became the first streaming service to carry Studio Ghibli titles when it launched in 2020. This new multi-year extension will keep the iconic Japanese studio’s films on Max in the United States. Recent Oscar winner “The Boy and the Heron...
- 3/12/2024
- by Matt Tamanini
- The Streamable
Hayao Miyazaki’s “The Boy and the Heron,” which just won the Oscar for feature animated film, is streaming to Max in the U.S.
Warner Bros. Discovery announced a multiyear agreement with independent distributor GKids to extend Max’s exclusive U.S. streaming rights for films from Studio Ghibli, Japan’s legendary animation house. The streamer has been the U.S. home to Studio Ghibli’s catalog since 2020, when the service originally launched as HBO Max.
Under the deal renewal, Max will be the future home of “The Boy and the Heron”; the streaming premiere date on Max will be announced later this year. The hand-drawn, semi-autobiographical film — Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years — was produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki and features a musical score from Miyazaki’s longtime collaborator Joe Hisaishi.
The extension with GKids also will keep nearly two dozen Studio Ghibli films — including “My Neighbor Totoro,...
Warner Bros. Discovery announced a multiyear agreement with independent distributor GKids to extend Max’s exclusive U.S. streaming rights for films from Studio Ghibli, Japan’s legendary animation house. The streamer has been the U.S. home to Studio Ghibli’s catalog since 2020, when the service originally launched as HBO Max.
Under the deal renewal, Max will be the future home of “The Boy and the Heron”; the streaming premiere date on Max will be announced later this year. The hand-drawn, semi-autobiographical film — Miyazaki’s first feature film in 10 years — was produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki and features a musical score from Miyazaki’s longtime collaborator Joe Hisaishi.
The extension with GKids also will keep nearly two dozen Studio Ghibli films — including “My Neighbor Totoro,...
- 3/12/2024
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
This time next month will see the last area of Ghibli Park – Valley of Witches – open and to celebrate, Studio Ghibli today released an animated promotional video inspired by the new area’s theme – Howl’s Moving Castle . The staff behind the classic Ghibli film returned to produce the short, including Hayao Miyazaki drawing the storyboards! Along with Miyazaki on the storyboards, Howl’s Moving Castle animation director Akihiko Yamashita directed the promo alongside Noboru Yoshida as the art director, who was in the same role on Howl’s and the latest flick from the anime studio, The Boy and the Heron . Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki noted that the commercial was created by Miyazaki thanks to a request from his son Goro Miyazaki, who is the director of Ghibli Park. Related: Ghibli Park Confirms Opening Dates for Mononoke Village and the Valley of Witches Ghibli Park’s Valley of Witches, with buildings on Howl's Moving Castle,...
- 2/13/2024
- by Daryl Harding
- Crunchyroll
Hayao Miyazaki’s latest film, The Boy and The Heron, has announced the voice cast for its English dub, led by Christian Bale, Florence Pugh, and Robert Pattinson. It will see a wide theatrical release on December 8th alongside the original Japanese language version. Update: Watch the English dub trailer below.
Other stars include Mark Hamill, Willem Dafoe, Gemma Chan, Dave Bautista, and Karen Fukuhara, with additional cast members Luca Padovan, Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori, and Dan Stevens. Gkids cast and produced the English version in close consultation with Studio Ghibli, and the script adaptation was written by Stephanie Sheh. The English language dub was produced in accordance with the SAG-AFTRA Foreign Dubbing Agreement.
In our review of The Boy and The Heron from this year’s New York Film Festival, Senior Staff Writer Clint Worthington described it as a “magnificent final flourish that folds together many of the...
Other stars include Mark Hamill, Willem Dafoe, Gemma Chan, Dave Bautista, and Karen Fukuhara, with additional cast members Luca Padovan, Mamoudou Athie, Tony Revolori, and Dan Stevens. Gkids cast and produced the English version in close consultation with Studio Ghibli, and the script adaptation was written by Stephanie Sheh. The English language dub was produced in accordance with the SAG-AFTRA Foreign Dubbing Agreement.
In our review of The Boy and The Heron from this year’s New York Film Festival, Senior Staff Writer Clint Worthington described it as a “magnificent final flourish that folds together many of the...
- 11/2/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Film News
Danny Perkins made waves in the British film industry back in 2018 when he left his long-time position as CEO of StudioCanal UK — a tenure that had seen him oversee major and beloved hits including Paddington 1 & 2, Tinker Tailer Soldier Spy and Shaun the Sheep Movie — to set up his own film and TV production company.
Elysian Film Group, which he launched with producer Kate Solomon (United 93), in early 2020 unveiled its distribution arm, backed by minority investment from CAA (the giant’s first investment in a U.K. distributor). The timing wasn’t great, however, coming less than a month before the first pandemic lockdown.
It was, understandably, a slow start on both the production and distribution front. But 2023 has seen the company — a nimble operation of just four staffers, including Perkins (who brings partners on board for big releases) — make some major noise. First up, it’s biggest in-house film to date,...
Elysian Film Group, which he launched with producer Kate Solomon (United 93), in early 2020 unveiled its distribution arm, backed by minority investment from CAA (the giant’s first investment in a U.K. distributor). The timing wasn’t great, however, coming less than a month before the first pandemic lockdown.
It was, understandably, a slow start on both the production and distribution front. But 2023 has seen the company — a nimble operation of just four staffers, including Perkins (who brings partners on board for big releases) — make some major noise. First up, it’s biggest in-house film to date,...
- 11/2/2023
- by Alex Ritman
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Max embraces the Halloween season in a massive way by putting horror for all ages front and center with a “House of Halloween” interactive spotlight page, and it’s now live. It’s a choose your own adventure, Halloween style this spooky season.
The streaming platform aims to be the premier destination for Halloween. The “House of Halloween” spotlight page separates content into various scare levels, featuring categories such as Sweet Treat, which highlights titles like Coraline, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and “Halloween Cookie Challenge,” Scary, But Not Scary-Scary, which includes HBO’s “The Last of Us,” “True Blood,” and “Lovecraft Country,” and Haunt Your Dreams, showcasing some of Max’s most chilling content, with a lineup of horror films including Annabelle, It, Evil Dead Rise, The Nun, and The Exorcist, which turns 50 this year.
Look for the second season of the HBO Original horror series “30 Coins...
The streaming platform aims to be the premier destination for Halloween. The “House of Halloween” spotlight page separates content into various scare levels, featuring categories such as Sweet Treat, which highlights titles like Coraline, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone, and “Halloween Cookie Challenge,” Scary, But Not Scary-Scary, which includes HBO’s “The Last of Us,” “True Blood,” and “Lovecraft Country,” and Haunt Your Dreams, showcasing some of Max’s most chilling content, with a lineup of horror films including Annabelle, It, Evil Dead Rise, The Nun, and The Exorcist, which turns 50 this year.
Look for the second season of the HBO Original horror series “30 Coins...
- 9/29/2023
- by Meagan Navarro
- bloody-disgusting.com
I was thinking about my mother
I was thinking about what’s mine
I was living my life like a Hollywood
But I was dying, dying on the vine
–– John Cale
It was a couple years ago that I can remember seeing images from, or maybe just a poster for, Earwig and the Witch, a latter-period Studio Ghibli work directed by none other than Hayao Miyazaki’s own son, Goro (himself an accomplished director). I had a distinctly negative reaction to these images, their gaudy computer-generated aesthetic evoking the hideous look of other modern anime “auteur” Shinji Aramaki. While something of a latecomer to the weeb life who can’t speak with complete and utter authority on trends, movements, styles of the form, I could make a healthy guess that the master Hayao felt some discontent with this direction. Thus we have him rolling up his sleeves and coming out...
I was thinking about what’s mine
I was living my life like a Hollywood
But I was dying, dying on the vine
–– John Cale
It was a couple years ago that I can remember seeing images from, or maybe just a poster for, Earwig and the Witch, a latter-period Studio Ghibli work directed by none other than Hayao Miyazaki’s own son, Goro (himself an accomplished director). I had a distinctly negative reaction to these images, their gaudy computer-generated aesthetic evoking the hideous look of other modern anime “auteur” Shinji Aramaki. While something of a latecomer to the weeb life who can’t speak with complete and utter authority on trends, movements, styles of the form, I could make a healthy guess that the master Hayao felt some discontent with this direction. Thus we have him rolling up his sleeves and coming out...
- 9/8/2023
- by Ethan Vestby
- The Film Stage
The teaser trailer for The Boy and the Heron, Hayao Miyazaki’s purported final film, has been released by Studio Ghibli ahead of its arrival in US theaters on December 8th.
Taking place during World War II, the film centers around a teenager named Mahito Maki (Soma Santoki) who is sorting out his life following the tragic death of his mother in a fire. After relocating to the countryside with his father (Takuya Kimura), Mahito uncovers a mysterious, hidden world and encounters a talking grey heron. Watch The Boy and the Heron trailer below.
“A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead,” reads the official description. “There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.”
The Boy and the Heron...
Taking place during World War II, the film centers around a teenager named Mahito Maki (Soma Santoki) who is sorting out his life following the tragic death of his mother in a fire. After relocating to the countryside with his father (Takuya Kimura), Mahito uncovers a mysterious, hidden world and encounters a talking grey heron. Watch The Boy and the Heron trailer below.
“A young boy named Mahito yearning for his mother ventures into a world shared by the living and the dead,” reads the official description. “There, death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning. A semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship, from the mind of Hayao Miyazaki.”
The Boy and the Heron...
- 9/6/2023
- by Eddie Fu
- Consequence - Film News
The collectible makers at Funko have created a large line of Pop figures based on Hocus Pocus 2. There are, of course, all three Sanderson sisters, but also the new characters Cassie, Becca, Izzy, and Gilbert. Surprisingly, a new Billy Butcherson figure isn’t in the line-up. But there is The Witch Mother – and while the other Hocus Pocus 2 POPs will be available wherever POPs are sold, the Witch Mother figure will only be available through the Funko website. So if you want to get your hands on this one, head over to Funko.com before all the Witch Mother figures are sold!
ThatHashtagShow informs, “The Witch Mother plays a brief but significant role in the Disney feature Hocus Pocus 2. The character, portrayed by Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham, meets the Sanderson sisters when they’re still children. Sensing witchy potential in young Winifred, the Witch Mother gives the sisters their iconic spellbook.
ThatHashtagShow informs, “The Witch Mother plays a brief but significant role in the Disney feature Hocus Pocus 2. The character, portrayed by Ted Lasso’s Hannah Waddingham, meets the Sanderson sisters when they’re still children. Sensing witchy potential in young Winifred, the Witch Mother gives the sisters their iconic spellbook.
- 8/24/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki is hanging up his pen, but before he does, he’s releasing one last movie for global audiences to enjoy: “How Do You Live?”, which will be released in theaters in Japan on Friday, July 14.
The movie shares a title with a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino, though Studio Ghibli has promised the film will have a unique and original story. The studio has deliberately chosen not to market “How Do You Live?”, declining to release trailers, posters, or any plot details that might spoil the magic of Miyazaki’s last movie.
“How Do You Live?” is scheduled to be released in Japan on July 14, 2023. Previous Studio Ghibli releases from the past decade have also been given to Japanese audiences before they make their way to the United States, and typically wait around five to 11 months before debuting in domestic cinemas. The studio already has a distribution...
The movie shares a title with a 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino, though Studio Ghibli has promised the film will have a unique and original story. The studio has deliberately chosen not to market “How Do You Live?”, declining to release trailers, posters, or any plot details that might spoil the magic of Miyazaki’s last movie.
“How Do You Live?” is scheduled to be released in Japan on July 14, 2023. Previous Studio Ghibli releases from the past decade have also been given to Japanese audiences before they make their way to the United States, and typically wait around five to 11 months before debuting in domestic cinemas. The studio already has a distribution...
- 7/12/2023
- by David Satin
- The Streamable
The Super Mario Bros. Movie expected to conquer the Mushroom Kingdom with an $85M-$90M 5-Day opening
The box office is about to feel the power of a Super Mushroom when The Super Mario Bros. Movie butt stomps into cinemas. According to Deadline, Illumination/Universal/Nintendo’s Mario movie is advancing toward an $85M-$90M Easter holiday weekend opening. The 5-day opening tracks the film for Wednesday through Sunday, casting a wide net to add as many golden coins to its purse as possible. I’ll tell you this, though. I would not be surprised if The Super Mario Bros. Movie makes over $90M during the 5-day window. Like, way more.
Fan responses to The Super Mario Bros. Movie trailers have been outstanding, with many planning to rush to theaters as soon as it opens. I plan to see the movie immediately, preferably at a late-night screening to avoid a kid-dominated crowd. Speaking of the kiddos, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is tracking well with boys and girls under 12 equally.
Fan responses to The Super Mario Bros. Movie trailers have been outstanding, with many planning to rush to theaters as soon as it opens. I plan to see the movie immediately, preferably at a late-night screening to avoid a kid-dominated crowd. Speaking of the kiddos, The Super Mario Bros. Movie is tracking well with boys and girls under 12 equally.
- 3/16/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
This review may contain spoilers.
Yusuke Hirota makes his directorial debut with STUDIO4 ºC on “Poupelle of Chimney Town” (2020). The director is not new to the film scene, however. Hirota previously worked with the studio as a CGI artist on projects like “Berserk” (2012) and “Mind Game” (2004). Likewise, “Poupelle” is not news, either. Comedian-turned-author Akihiro Nishino worked closely with Hirota to make “Poupelle” an extension of his previously published storybook. While the book covers around “three to four chapters” of Nishino’s ideas, the film intends to cover around “ten” – making it effectively an extension of the world that the book began.
“Poupelle of Chimney Town” is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
As a result, “Poupelle of Chimney Town” (the movie) feels like a hodgepodge of storylines that combine into one. Here, under the walled, smog-covered skies of Chimneytown, Lubicchi (Mana Ashida) is a lonely chimney sweep.
Yusuke Hirota makes his directorial debut with STUDIO4 ºC on “Poupelle of Chimney Town” (2020). The director is not new to the film scene, however. Hirota previously worked with the studio as a CGI artist on projects like “Berserk” (2012) and “Mind Game” (2004). Likewise, “Poupelle” is not news, either. Comedian-turned-author Akihiro Nishino worked closely with Hirota to make “Poupelle” an extension of his previously published storybook. While the book covers around “three to four chapters” of Nishino’s ideas, the film intends to cover around “ten” – making it effectively an extension of the world that the book began.
“Poupelle of Chimney Town” is screening at Vesoul International Film Festival of Asian Cinema
As a result, “Poupelle of Chimney Town” (the movie) feels like a hodgepodge of storylines that combine into one. Here, under the walled, smog-covered skies of Chimneytown, Lubicchi (Mana Ashida) is a lonely chimney sweep.
- 3/2/2023
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Universal Pictures and Illumination Entertainment have announced that the animated feature The Super Mario Bros. Movie is getting an earlier release date… but only slightly earlier. Previously scheduled to reach theatres on April 7th, The Super Mario Bros. Movie now has a release date of April 5th in the United States and in more than sixty other markets around the world. The film will reach additional markets in April and May, with its Japan release set for April 28th.
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel, the film has a voice cast that includes Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.
Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri produced The Super Mario Bros. Movie...
Directed by Aaron Horvath and Michael Jelenic from a screenplay by Matthew Fogel, the film has a voice cast that includes Chris Pratt as Mario, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach, Charlie Day as Luigi, Jack Black as Bowser, Keegan-Michael Key as Toad, Seth Rogen as Donkey Kong, Fred Armisen as Cranky Kong, Kevin Michael Richardson as Kamek, and Sebastian Maniscalco as Spike.
Illumination founder and CEO Chris Meledandri produced The Super Mario Bros. Movie...
- 2/28/2023
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The Super Mario Bros. Movie is bringing the beloved Nintendo franchise to cinemas in April, Chris Pratt’s Mario voice and all! We’ve already seen multiple trailers teasing the animated adventure from Nintendo and Illumination. However, a new poster for the film is here to announce the date of the film’s final trailer!
The Super Mario Bros. poster features Mario (Chris Pratt), Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), and Cranky Kong (Fred Armisen) driving along Rainbow Road while avoiding Bob-ombs and Spiney Shells. Each character is piloting a vehicle from the ultra-popular Mario Kart video game franchise, as floating islands and stars hang in the sky. The poster is another example of how far Nintendo and Illumination are willing to go to make the Super Mario Bros. Movie a colorful romp through the Mushroom Kingdom.
The new trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie...
The Super Mario Bros. poster features Mario (Chris Pratt), Peach (Anya Taylor-Joy), Donkey Kong (Seth Rogen), Toad (Keegan-Michael Key), and Cranky Kong (Fred Armisen) driving along Rainbow Road while avoiding Bob-ombs and Spiney Shells. Each character is piloting a vehicle from the ultra-popular Mario Kart video game franchise, as floating islands and stars hang in the sky. The poster is another example of how far Nintendo and Illumination are willing to go to make the Super Mario Bros. Movie a colorful romp through the Mushroom Kingdom.
The new trailer for The Super Mario Bros. Movie...
- 2/22/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
Nintendo and Illumination Entertainment have released new posters for the upcoming Super Mario Bros Movie, featuring Mario and Luigi in vastly different parts of the Mushroom Kingdom. Mario leaps through the air with his fist held high in the first promo, ready to smash blocks while avoiding Piranha Plants and Banzai Bills. Peach’s Castle sits proudly in the distance as pitfalls and traps surround the red-hatted plumber. In the second poster, Luigi is held captive by a group of Shy Guys, pulling him toward a hot air balloon while Bowser’s Castle looms in the background. Both images highlight the brilliant colors seen in the film’s trailer and showcase the disparity between the zones of the Mushroom Kingdom.
You can check the posters out at the bottom of this article.
The Super Mario Bros Movie features the voices of Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach,...
You can check the posters out at the bottom of this article.
The Super Mario Bros Movie features the voices of Chris Pratt as Mario, Charlie Day as Luigi, Anya Taylor-Joy as Princess Peach,...
- 2/9/2023
- by Steve Seigh
- JoBlo.com
French sales powerhouse company Wild Bunch International (Wbi) and Studiocanal UK have embarked on a legal battle in the U.K. High Court over rights to Studio Ghibli films in the territory.
Studiocanal UK has taken issue with the 2019 Netflix deal brokered by Wbi giving the platform worldwide streaming rights to much of the Studio Ghibli catalogue.
In a legal claim filed on November 3, the company says the accord had impacted its ability to exploit 15 Studio Ghibli titles in the U.K., included in a home entertainment deal signed in 2015, and renewed in 2017.
The 2019 Netflix deal for worldwide rights (excluding North America and Japan) to 21 Studio Ghibli titles was seen as ground-breaking at that time.
Up until that point, Studio Ghibli films had only been available theatrically and then via DVD, Blu-Ray, or terrestrial broadcast, because co-founders Hayao Miyazaki, late Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki had refused to sell the digital rights on a territory-by-territory basis.
Studiocanal UK has taken issue with the 2019 Netflix deal brokered by Wbi giving the platform worldwide streaming rights to much of the Studio Ghibli catalogue.
In a legal claim filed on November 3, the company says the accord had impacted its ability to exploit 15 Studio Ghibli titles in the U.K., included in a home entertainment deal signed in 2015, and renewed in 2017.
The 2019 Netflix deal for worldwide rights (excluding North America and Japan) to 21 Studio Ghibli titles was seen as ground-breaking at that time.
Up until that point, Studio Ghibli films had only been available theatrically and then via DVD, Blu-Ray, or terrestrial broadcast, because co-founders Hayao Miyazaki, late Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki had refused to sell the digital rights on a territory-by-territory basis.
- 12/21/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- Deadline Film + TV
Studio Ghibli-Lucasfilm Project Confirmed As Baby Yoda Short ‘Zen – Grogu And Dust Bunnies’ – Update
Updated, 4:15 p.m.: Studio Ghibli set the internet abuzz on Thursday when it hinted at a collaboration with Lucasfilm. And now, Disney+ has given the project a name — that being Zen – Grogu and Dust Bunnies.
Zen is an original, animated short directed for the streaming service by Katsuya Kondo, which will be released this Saturday, November 12, as both Disney+ and its acclaimed Star Wars series The Mandalorian celebrate their third anniversary. The film’s protagonist is Grogu, the breakout Mandalorian character known to many as Baby Yoda.
The hand-drawn piece will feature music by the show’s Oscar- and Emmy-winning composer, Ludwig Göransson, who most recently penned the score for Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Take a look at the poster for Zen – Grogu and Dust Bunnies below.
Previously, November 10: Studio Ghibli took to Twitter on Thursday to hint at a collaboration with Lucasfilm.
It’s...
Zen is an original, animated short directed for the streaming service by Katsuya Kondo, which will be released this Saturday, November 12, as both Disney+ and its acclaimed Star Wars series The Mandalorian celebrate their third anniversary. The film’s protagonist is Grogu, the breakout Mandalorian character known to many as Baby Yoda.
The hand-drawn piece will feature music by the show’s Oscar- and Emmy-winning composer, Ludwig Göransson, who most recently penned the score for Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Take a look at the poster for Zen – Grogu and Dust Bunnies below.
Previously, November 10: Studio Ghibli took to Twitter on Thursday to hint at a collaboration with Lucasfilm.
It’s...
- 11/12/2022
- by Matt Grobar
- Deadline Film + TV
Studio Ghibli is cooking up something sweet with Lucasfilm and Walt Disney Co.
The famed Japanese animation studio tweeted the Lucasfilm logo, a message amplified by at least one Disney executive. Walt Disney Pictures’ President of Marketing Asad Ayaz retweeted the Studio Ghibli post with a hinting eyes emoji.
Studio Ghibli is best known for producing films like “KiKi’s Delivery Service,” “Princess Mononoke,” and “Spirited Away.” The production company’s most recent film was “Earwig and the Witch,” released in 2020.
There is precedent for such a collaboration here too: Lucasfilm, the creators behind the “Star Wars” franchise, has collaborated with Japanese animators to bring anime aesthetics to the Disney+ series “Star Wars: Visions.” Lucasfilm partnered with seven anime studios to create nine short films set in the “Star Wars” galaxy.
“The goal with ‘Visions’ was always that we wanted this to be authentic Japanese anime,” executive producer James Waugh told...
The famed Japanese animation studio tweeted the Lucasfilm logo, a message amplified by at least one Disney executive. Walt Disney Pictures’ President of Marketing Asad Ayaz retweeted the Studio Ghibli post with a hinting eyes emoji.
Studio Ghibli is best known for producing films like “KiKi’s Delivery Service,” “Princess Mononoke,” and “Spirited Away.” The production company’s most recent film was “Earwig and the Witch,” released in 2020.
There is precedent for such a collaboration here too: Lucasfilm, the creators behind the “Star Wars” franchise, has collaborated with Japanese animators to bring anime aesthetics to the Disney+ series “Star Wars: Visions.” Lucasfilm partnered with seven anime studios to create nine short films set in the “Star Wars” galaxy.
“The goal with ‘Visions’ was always that we wanted this to be authentic Japanese anime,” executive producer James Waugh told...
- 11/10/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Soon to celebrate his 82nd birthday, Hayao Miyazaki came out of “retirement” yet again to work on his latest animation for Studio Ghibli. The project, titled Kimi-tachi wa Dō Ikiru ka (which translates to How Do You Live?), follows a 15-year-old boy named Koperu and his uncle, who move to a new neighborhood, as the kid deals with bullying, poverty, education, work, courage, and progress. With the last major update three years ago––wherein a 2023 release was in the cards––we now have a new update and it looks like production is on track to wrap up soon.
In advance of the grand opening of the first Ghibli Park in Japan next week, Studio Ghibli president Koji Hoshino shared at a press conference that production on Miyazaki’s new film has “progressed very smoothly” even during the pandemic and “it seems that it is nearing completion.” While he didn’t...
In advance of the grand opening of the first Ghibli Park in Japan next week, Studio Ghibli president Koji Hoshino shared at a press conference that production on Miyazaki’s new film has “progressed very smoothly” even during the pandemic and “it seems that it is nearing completion.” While he didn’t...
- 10/27/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
For years, there was talk about making a sequel to the 1993 cult favorite Hocus Pocus. After spending some time in development hell, Hocus Pocus 2 finally made it into production recently and is now set to be released through the Disney+ streaming service on September 30th. Unfortunately, when the sequel did get made, it happened to be at a time when the first film’s cast member Thora Birch was too busy to participate.
According to Collider, Birch’s character Dani Dennison was originally supposed to have a prominent role in Hocus Pocus 2, where she would have teamed up with a group of teenagers to battle the returning trio of witches, the Sanderson Sisters. But there was a scheduling issue – and speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Birch told them she was “dismayed” she had to miss out on the movie.
Birch said, “I was just a little dismayed I wasn’t able to make it.
According to Collider, Birch’s character Dani Dennison was originally supposed to have a prominent role in Hocus Pocus 2, where she would have teamed up with a group of teenagers to battle the returning trio of witches, the Sanderson Sisters. But there was a scheduling issue – and speaking to Entertainment Tonight, Birch told them she was “dismayed” she had to miss out on the movie.
Birch said, “I was just a little dismayed I wasn’t able to make it.
- 9/28/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Directed by Anne Fletcher from a screenplay by Jen D’Angelo (Workaholics), the long-awaited sequel Hocus Pocus 2 – which is set to be released through the Disney+ streaming service on September 30th – sees Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker back in the roles of the Sanderson Sisters. And now a trio of character posters has been released to give each of the Sanderson sisters their time in the spotlight. You can take a look at them at the bottom of this article.
Hocus Pocus 2 has the following synopsis:
Picking up 29 years after a teen named Max lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the three 17th-century child-essence-stealing sorceresses, Winifred (Midler), Sarah (Parker), and Mary (Najimy) are now looking for revenge. With the Sanderson Sisters back to terrorize Salem, it’s up to three high school students to stop them. How do you do that? By summoning the wrath of an enchantress,...
Hocus Pocus 2 has the following synopsis:
Picking up 29 years after a teen named Max lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the three 17th-century child-essence-stealing sorceresses, Winifred (Midler), Sarah (Parker), and Mary (Najimy) are now looking for revenge. With the Sanderson Sisters back to terrorize Salem, it’s up to three high school students to stop them. How do you do that? By summoning the wrath of an enchantress,...
- 9/22/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
Each week we highlight the noteworthy titles that have recently hit streaming platforms in the United States. Check out this week’s selections below and past round-ups here.
Before we highlight this week’s picks, I want to give a special shout-out to our newly-launched Twitter account for Michael Snydel’s podcast Intermission. He’s sharing daily, well-curated streaming recommendations, so be sure to give it a follow!
Burial (Ben Parker)
From Tarantino to Mann to Marvel, mining Word War II for fictional storytelling purposes is nothing new in cinema. The latest to take the leap is Ben Parker’s Burial, a staid action thriller following Russian soldiers who are transporting the corpse of Hitler back to their homeland, per Stalin’s request. While Parker suggests some interesting ideas about conflicted nationalism at the end of a war, and he gets the table-setting right when it comes to mood, Burial...
Before we highlight this week’s picks, I want to give a special shout-out to our newly-launched Twitter account for Michael Snydel’s podcast Intermission. He’s sharing daily, well-curated streaming recommendations, so be sure to give it a follow!
Burial (Ben Parker)
From Tarantino to Mann to Marvel, mining Word War II for fictional storytelling purposes is nothing new in cinema. The latest to take the leap is Ben Parker’s Burial, a staid action thriller following Russian soldiers who are transporting the corpse of Hitler back to their homeland, per Stalin’s request. While Parker suggests some interesting ideas about conflicted nationalism at the end of a war, and he gets the table-setting right when it comes to mood, Burial...
- 9/2/2022
- by Jordan Raup
- The Film Stage
Studio Ghibli is the most important animation production company in movie history, and I say this with absolutely no hyperbole. The home of living animation legend Hayao Miyazaki and the studio responsible for some of the most brilliant works of animated cinema ever put to screen, Studio Ghibli has consistently broken new ground and completely redefined what stories are possible to tell in animation since its inception in the 1980s. Founded by Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, Studio Ghibli films have become internationally beloved classics, and have even inspired an upcoming theme park set to open in Japan later this year.
Back in 2020, HBO Max snagged the streaming rights to Studio Ghibli's entire filmography, but Gkids recently announced that the entire Studio Ghibli catalog is now available for digital download-to-rent in the United States and Canada. The films will be available to rent in both English and Japanese languages and this...
Back in 2020, HBO Max snagged the streaming rights to Studio Ghibli's entire filmography, but Gkids recently announced that the entire Studio Ghibli catalog is now available for digital download-to-rent in the United States and Canada. The films will be available to rent in both English and Japanese languages and this...
- 8/31/2022
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Some of the most acclaimed films in animation history are finally available to rent online.
Gkids, the animation specialist distributer, has released the catalog of acclaimed Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli starting Tuesday. 22 films from the studio — including Oscar winner “Spirited Away” and nominees such as “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “When Marnie Was There” — will be made available to rent on all major digital platforms, including Apple TV, Amazon VOD, Vudu, Google Play and Microsoft. The films will be be priced at 4.99 per title, and all will be available in HD, with most being offered in the original Japanese language as well as English dubs.
The news marks the first time that Ghibli’s films have been made available via digital rental. The catalogue has been one of the pillars of Gkids’ business since the distributer acquired the North American film distribution rights to the studio’s films in 2011, followed...
Gkids, the animation specialist distributer, has released the catalog of acclaimed Japanese animation house Studio Ghibli starting Tuesday. 22 films from the studio — including Oscar winner “Spirited Away” and nominees such as “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “When Marnie Was There” — will be made available to rent on all major digital platforms, including Apple TV, Amazon VOD, Vudu, Google Play and Microsoft. The films will be be priced at 4.99 per title, and all will be available in HD, with most being offered in the original Japanese language as well as English dubs.
The news marks the first time that Ghibli’s films have been made available via digital rental. The catalogue has been one of the pillars of Gkids’ business since the distributer acquired the North American film distribution rights to the studio’s films in 2011, followed...
- 8/30/2022
- by Wilson Chapman
- Variety Film + TV
Doug Jones is reprising the role of Billy Butcherson in the long-awaited sequel Hocus Pocus 2, which is set to be released through the Disney+ streaming service on September 30th. With just one month left to go before that film is available for viewing, Entertainment Weekly has unveiled an image that offers the first look at Billy Butcherson’s return! You can see the image at the bottom of this article.
Directed by Anne Fletcher from a screenplay by Jen D’Angelo (Workaholics), Hocus Pocus 2 sees Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker back in the roles of the Sanderson Sisters. The film has the following synopsis:
Picking up 29 years after a teen named Max lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the three 17th-century child-essence-stealing sorceresses, Winifred (Midler), Sarah (Parker), and Mary (Najimy) are now looking for revenge. With the Sanderson Sisters back to terrorize Salem, it’s...
Directed by Anne Fletcher from a screenplay by Jen D’Angelo (Workaholics), Hocus Pocus 2 sees Bette Midler, Kathy Najimy, and Sarah Jessica Parker back in the roles of the Sanderson Sisters. The film has the following synopsis:
Picking up 29 years after a teen named Max lit the Black Flame Candle and resurrected the three 17th-century child-essence-stealing sorceresses, Winifred (Midler), Sarah (Parker), and Mary (Najimy) are now looking for revenge. With the Sanderson Sisters back to terrorize Salem, it’s...
- 8/29/2022
- by Cody Hamman
- JoBlo.com
The uneven Japanese animated fantasy “The Deer King” often resembles the sort of Studio Ghibli action-adventure that made animation figurehead Hayao Miyazaki internationally famous, especially “Princess Mononoke” and “Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind.” “The Deer King” not only looks like those Studio Ghibli staples, but also follows a plot that recalls Ghibli-style high fantasies: two warring feudal kingdoms try either to capture or enlist Van, a resourceful ex-soldier who may or may not be immune to a devastating plague.
Comparisons between “The Deer King” and Studio Ghibli’s better known movies seem inevitable, especially given how many of this movie’s creators learned their trade as animators and animation directors at Studio Ghibli, particularly co-directors Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji, and key animators Kenichi Konishi and Kenichi Yoshida. Thankfully, what works in so many Ghibli movies also mostly works in “The Deer King,” given the craft and consideration...
Comparisons between “The Deer King” and Studio Ghibli’s better known movies seem inevitable, especially given how many of this movie’s creators learned their trade as animators and animation directors at Studio Ghibli, particularly co-directors Masashi Ando and Masayuki Miyaji, and key animators Kenichi Konishi and Kenichi Yoshida. Thankfully, what works in so many Ghibli movies also mostly works in “The Deer King,” given the craft and consideration...
- 7/14/2022
- by Simon Abrams
- The Wrap
Goro Miyazaki's film "Earwig and the Witch" is a notable oddity in the Studio Ghibli catalogue, mainly for its medium. Ghibli became famous for its hand-drawn style, and it remained a traditional cel animation studio up until 2020. "Earwig" was the first Ghibli film to be made entirely using CGI, offering a drastic visual departure from their usual fare, offering sphere-headed characters, wiry 3D hair, and detailed and textured backgrounds. The look was infamously rejected by most audiences, with most critics citing "Earwig" as a lackluster effort from a studio known for its stellar track record.
Based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones, "Earwig and...
The post Why Studio Ghibli Went CGI For Earwig And The Witch appeared first on /Film.
Based on the novel by Diana Wynne Jones, "Earwig and...
The post Why Studio Ghibli Went CGI For Earwig And The Witch appeared first on /Film.
- 7/6/2022
- by Witney Seibold
- Slash Film
Shinkai’s previous films include ‘Your Name’ and ‘Weathering With You’.
Anime streaming giant Crunchyroll has acquired global distribution and marketing rights (excluding Asia) for award-winning Japanese director Makoto Shinkai’s upcoming working-titled animated feature Suzume No Tojimari.
The coming-of-age tale marks a sixth animated feature for Shinkai after breakout international hits Your Name (2016) and Weathering With You (2019).
The feature is produced by CoMix Wave Films, the Tokyo animation studio behind many of Shinkai’s works, and Story Inc., which took credits on Weathering with You.
The deal between Crunchyroll and Japanese studio Toho, which handles worldwide rights, was brokered...
Anime streaming giant Crunchyroll has acquired global distribution and marketing rights (excluding Asia) for award-winning Japanese director Makoto Shinkai’s upcoming working-titled animated feature Suzume No Tojimari.
The coming-of-age tale marks a sixth animated feature for Shinkai after breakout international hits Your Name (2016) and Weathering With You (2019).
The feature is produced by CoMix Wave Films, the Tokyo animation studio behind many of Shinkai’s works, and Story Inc., which took credits on Weathering with You.
The deal between Crunchyroll and Japanese studio Toho, which handles worldwide rights, was brokered...
- 5/19/2022
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
Through its first ten days on Netflix, the Dwayne Johnson-Gal Gadot-Ryan Reynolds $200M action heist movie Red Notice is already the streamer’s second most watched movie of all time with 277.9M hours clocked.
The Rawson Marshall Thurber directed title is honing in on being the streamer’s most-watched-movie-of-all-time, that currently being the Sandra Bullock thriller Bird Box, which counts 282M hours. See the full list here.
In Netflix’s second week of its top 10 most watched film charts (English), the streamer reports that Red Notice was the No. 1 movie for Nov. 15-21 logging 129.1M hours watched. In second, was their Vanessa Hudgens franchise threequel, The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star, with 24.77M hours watched by subscribers.
A number of rival studio library hits flooded the top 10 including the Johnson-Hart movie Central Intelligence, and DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods and Trolls. Curiously absent from this...
The Rawson Marshall Thurber directed title is honing in on being the streamer’s most-watched-movie-of-all-time, that currently being the Sandra Bullock thriller Bird Box, which counts 282M hours. See the full list here.
In Netflix’s second week of its top 10 most watched film charts (English), the streamer reports that Red Notice was the No. 1 movie for Nov. 15-21 logging 129.1M hours watched. In second, was their Vanessa Hudgens franchise threequel, The Princess Switch 3: Romancing the Star, with 24.77M hours watched by subscribers.
A number of rival studio library hits flooded the top 10 including the Johnson-Hart movie Central Intelligence, and DreamWorks Animation’s The Croods and Trolls. Curiously absent from this...
- 11/24/2021
- by Anthony D'Alessandro
- Deadline Film + TV
“Red Notice,” the art-heist thriller starring Dwayne Johnson, Gal Gadot and Ryan Reynolds, is set to become Netflix’s most-watched movie in its first 28 days of release.
The film broke into Netflix’s Top 10 Most Popular English Films of all time this past week, registering 277.9 million hours viewed since its Nov. 12 release — and it has hit the No. 2 spot in just 10 days. That puts it on pace to surpass the current No. 1 holder, Sandra Bullock’s “Bird Box,” which scared up 282 million hours viewed in its first 28 days. In addition, for the second week in a row, “Red Notice” cracked Netflix’s Top 10 in all 94 countries.
Evidently boosted by the popularity of “Red Notice,” Johnson-starrer “Central Intelligence” (14.91 million hours viewed) and Reynolds’ “6 Underground” (7.77 million hours) both broke into the Top 10 English films for the week of Nov. 15-21.
Netflix released the new data, which ranks its most popular titles based on viewing hours,...
The film broke into Netflix’s Top 10 Most Popular English Films of all time this past week, registering 277.9 million hours viewed since its Nov. 12 release — and it has hit the No. 2 spot in just 10 days. That puts it on pace to surpass the current No. 1 holder, Sandra Bullock’s “Bird Box,” which scared up 282 million hours viewed in its first 28 days. In addition, for the second week in a row, “Red Notice” cracked Netflix’s Top 10 in all 94 countries.
Evidently boosted by the popularity of “Red Notice,” Johnson-starrer “Central Intelligence” (14.91 million hours viewed) and Reynolds’ “6 Underground” (7.77 million hours) both broke into the Top 10 English films for the week of Nov. 15-21.
Netflix released the new data, which ranks its most popular titles based on viewing hours,...
- 11/23/2021
- by Todd Spangler
- Variety Film + TV
Hayao Miyazaki is out of retirement and still in production on his adaptation of Genzaburo Yoshino’s 1937 novel “How Do You Live?,” and part of the reason it’s taking so long is because of the animator’s painstaking hand-drawn style. Miyazaki is involved in hand-drawing every shot of the movie. Back in 2020, Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki revealed it takes Miyazaki and his team one month to complete just one minute’s worth of animation. For this reason, Suzuki projected it would take another three years for “How Do You Live?” to complete production.
While hand-drawn animation takes time, it’s still the only way of animating for Miyazaki. The Oscar winner famously opposes computer-generated animation. In a viral clip from the 2016 documentary series “Nhk Special: Hayao Miyazaki — The One Who Never Ends,” the director got a chance to look at new artificial CGI animation intelligence tools and infamously reacted by saying,...
While hand-drawn animation takes time, it’s still the only way of animating for Miyazaki. The Oscar winner famously opposes computer-generated animation. In a viral clip from the 2016 documentary series “Nhk Special: Hayao Miyazaki — The One Who Never Ends,” the director got a chance to look at new artificial CGI animation intelligence tools and infamously reacted by saying,...
- 11/23/2021
- by Zack Sharf
- Indiewire
Bewitching, isn’t it?
As part of Disney+ Day, which marks the second anniversary of the streaming platform, Disney+ unveiled a first look at Hocus Pocus 2, reuniting original film stars Bette Midler (Winnie), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah) and Kathy Najimy (Mary) more than 28 years after the release of the 1993 cult classic.
More from TVLineHawkeye Spinoff Echo Ordered to SeriesHouse of Harkness, Agatha-Centric WandaVision Spinoff, Ordered at Disney+; Kathryn Hahn to ReturnMarvel Zombies, MCU Spider-Man Animated Series Ordered at Disney+, What If... ? Officially Renewed
As previously reported, Doug Jones (Star Trek: Discovery) is also back for the sequel, reprising his role as Billy Butcherson.
As part of Disney+ Day, which marks the second anniversary of the streaming platform, Disney+ unveiled a first look at Hocus Pocus 2, reuniting original film stars Bette Midler (Winnie), Sarah Jessica Parker (Sarah) and Kathy Najimy (Mary) more than 28 years after the release of the 1993 cult classic.
More from TVLineHawkeye Spinoff Echo Ordered to SeriesHouse of Harkness, Agatha-Centric WandaVision Spinoff, Ordered at Disney+; Kathryn Hahn to ReturnMarvel Zombies, MCU Spider-Man Animated Series Ordered at Disney+, What If... ? Officially Renewed
As previously reported, Doug Jones (Star Trek: Discovery) is also back for the sequel, reprising his role as Billy Butcherson.
- 11/12/2021
- by Ryan Schwartz
- TVLine.com
Netflix is soon to be the international home of the newest film from Studio Ghibli, "Earwig and the Witch." As part of a new deal that excludes the United States and Japan, Netflix will distribute "Earwig and the Witch'' to countries all over the world. This is a massive get for Netflix, considering Ghibli's deal with HBO Max marked the Japanese animated juggernaut's first ever deal allowing the films to reach larger audiences easier than ever before. Since 2020, 21 Studio Ghibli films have been made available around the globe (excluding the US and Japan) through global distribution partner...
The post Studio Ghibli's Earwig and the Witch is Now Coming to Netflix – in Select Territories appeared first on /Film.
The post Studio Ghibli's Earwig and the Witch is Now Coming to Netflix – in Select Territories appeared first on /Film.
- 10/18/2021
- by BJ Colangelo
- Slash Film
Netflix has added to its large pool of licensed content from Japan’s Studio Ghibli, picking up the legendary anime house’s most recent feature Earwig and the Witch.
Like the 21 other Studio Ghibli titles that have been in Netflix’s stable since last year, the streamer has rights to the new feature for all territories around the world except the U.S. and Japan. HBO Max has the U.S. streaming rights to the new film, along with much of the rest of Ghibli’s catalog.
First released on Japanese television in 2020, Earwig and the Witch is directed by Goro Miyazaki,...
Like the 21 other Studio Ghibli titles that have been in Netflix’s stable since last year, the streamer has rights to the new feature for all territories around the world except the U.S. and Japan. HBO Max has the U.S. streaming rights to the new film, along with much of the rest of Ghibli’s catalog.
First released on Japanese television in 2020, Earwig and the Witch is directed by Goro Miyazaki,...
- 10/14/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
Netflix has added to its large pool of licensed content from Japan’s Studio Ghibli, picking up the legendary anime house’s most recent feature Earwig and the Witch.
Like the 21 other Studio Ghibli titles that have been in Netflix’s stable since last year, the streamer has rights to the new feature for all territories around the world except the U.S. and Japan. HBO Max has the U.S. streaming rights to the new film, along with much of the rest of Ghibli’s catalog.
First released on Japanese television in 2020, Earwig and the Witch is directed by Goro Miyazaki,...
Like the 21 other Studio Ghibli titles that have been in Netflix’s stable since last year, the streamer has rights to the new feature for all territories around the world except the U.S. and Japan. HBO Max has the U.S. streaming rights to the new film, along with much of the rest of Ghibli’s catalog.
First released on Japanese television in 2020, Earwig and the Witch is directed by Goro Miyazaki,...
- 10/14/2021
- The Hollywood Reporter - Film + TV
The latest animated film from acclaimed Studio Ghibli is coming to Netflix on Nov. 18, expanding the streamer’s already extensive catalog.
Earwig and the Witch will be available to a worldwide audience. Since 2020, 21 films from Studio Ghibli have been available to the world, except for the US and Japan, through global distribution partner Wild Bunch International and Gkids exclusively for Canada.
“We’re thrilled that our film Earwig and the Witch will reach many countries and territories through Netflix,” said director Goro Miyazaki. “The film is Studio Ghibli’s first fully 3D CGI film which prompted us with an exciting challenge to reflect the spirit and pride of our studio using this new artform. Through that experience we met Earwig, our rebellious protagonist who grows to overcome difficulties with her wits and relentless energy. We hope you will come to love our Earwig, just like you enjoyed spending time with...
Earwig and the Witch will be available to a worldwide audience. Since 2020, 21 films from Studio Ghibli have been available to the world, except for the US and Japan, through global distribution partner Wild Bunch International and Gkids exclusively for Canada.
“We’re thrilled that our film Earwig and the Witch will reach many countries and territories through Netflix,” said director Goro Miyazaki. “The film is Studio Ghibli’s first fully 3D CGI film which prompted us with an exciting challenge to reflect the spirit and pride of our studio using this new artform. Through that experience we met Earwig, our rebellious protagonist who grows to overcome difficulties with her wits and relentless energy. We hope you will come to love our Earwig, just like you enjoyed spending time with...
- 10/14/2021
- by Bruce Haring
- Deadline Film + TV
Streaming giant Netflix has licensed rights to “Earwig and the Witch,” the most recent animated feature from Japan’s Studio Ghibli. The deal excludes the U.S. and Japan.
The film was directed by Miyazaki Goro, son of the iconic Miyazaki Hayao who has created other iconic films “Spirited Away,” “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Porco Rosso” through Studio Ghibli.
The new film tells the story of a headstrong young girl who grew up in an orphanage. Her life changes dramatically when a strange couple takes her in and she is forced to live with a selfish witch.
With a screenplay by Niwa Keiko and Gunji Emi, the story of Earwig is based on a novel of the same name by English writer Diana Wynne Jones.
“The film is Studio Ghibli’s first fully 3D CGI film which prompted us with an exciting challenge to reflect the spirit and pride of...
The film was directed by Miyazaki Goro, son of the iconic Miyazaki Hayao who has created other iconic films “Spirited Away,” “My Neighbor Totoro” and “Porco Rosso” through Studio Ghibli.
The new film tells the story of a headstrong young girl who grew up in an orphanage. Her life changes dramatically when a strange couple takes her in and she is forced to live with a selfish witch.
With a screenplay by Niwa Keiko and Gunji Emi, the story of Earwig is based on a novel of the same name by English writer Diana Wynne Jones.
“The film is Studio Ghibli’s first fully 3D CGI film which prompted us with an exciting challenge to reflect the spirit and pride of...
- 10/14/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Hayao Miyazaki — easily the most recognizable face behind Studio Ghibli — has long said that he would retire. Since then, all eyes have turned to his first son and heir, Goro Miyazaki. Goro Miyazaki seems to chafe under his father’s strictly traditional ways; his most recent release, “Earwig and the Witch” (2020) made a splash along Cannes headlines for being the first CGI film produced by the mostly paper-and-paint-based studio. In turn, his earlier work “From up on Poppy Hill” feels like an externalization of Goro’s internal struggle. Modernity and tradition collide again in this postwar port city, where a single executive move might tear down a historic building. It takes the entirety of a school to salvage what might otherwise be erased forever.
As per every other Ghibli film, “From Up on Poppy Hill” follows a young female protagonist. In 1963 Yokohama, Umi Matsuzaki (Masami Nagasawa) is...
As per every other Ghibli film, “From Up on Poppy Hill” follows a young female protagonist. In 1963 Yokohama, Umi Matsuzaki (Masami Nagasawa) is...
- 9/22/2021
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
Keep track of when films are coming out in the territory.
Cinemas in the UK and Ireland are set to reopen this spring, following months of closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Screen is listing the release dates for films in the territory in the calendar below. For distributors who wish to add/amend a date on the calendar, please get in touch with Screen here.
Indoor cinemas in England and Scotland will be allowed to reopen from May 17; with dates yet to be confirmed for Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Screen is also tracking reopening dates of cinemas in...
Cinemas in the UK and Ireland are set to reopen this spring, following months of closures due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
Screen is listing the release dates for films in the territory in the calendar below. For distributors who wish to add/amend a date on the calendar, please get in touch with Screen here.
Indoor cinemas in England and Scotland will be allowed to reopen from May 17; with dates yet to be confirmed for Wales, Northern Ireland and Ireland.
Screen is also tracking reopening dates of cinemas in...
- 8/10/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
This story about Cannes’ 2020 selection first appeared in TheWrap’s special digital Cannes magazine.
Last year, Cannes announced a list of 62 new feature films as its official selection for 2020, a year in which the festival itself didn’t take place. Bearing the prestigious imprimatur of the festival, the movies had a variety of releases. Here are some of the ones with the highest profiles since being singled out by Cannes.
“The French Dispatch” / Searchlight Pictures
Faithful
“DNA,” Maïwenn
Premiered at the Deauville Film Festival in September 2020, released by Netflix in the U.S. in December and in France in May.
“True Mothers,” Naomi Kawase
Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2020; submitted as Japan’s entry in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category.
“Peninsula,” Yeon Sang-Ho
Released theatrically in South Korea in July 2020 and in the U.S. (as Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula) in August.
“Another Round,...
Last year, Cannes announced a list of 62 new feature films as its official selection for 2020, a year in which the festival itself didn’t take place. Bearing the prestigious imprimatur of the festival, the movies had a variety of releases. Here are some of the ones with the highest profiles since being singled out by Cannes.
“The French Dispatch” / Searchlight Pictures
Faithful
“DNA,” Maïwenn
Premiered at the Deauville Film Festival in September 2020, released by Netflix in the U.S. in December and in France in May.
“True Mothers,” Naomi Kawase
Screened at the Toronto International Film Festival in September 2020; submitted as Japan’s entry in the Oscars’ Best International Feature Film category.
“Peninsula,” Yeon Sang-Ho
Released theatrically in South Korea in July 2020 and in the U.S. (as Train to Busan Presents: Peninsula) in August.
“Another Round,...
- 7/6/2021
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
Wild Bunch is getting deeper into animation with the launch of a new sales company it is setting up with French animation specialist Gebeka.
Announced in Annecy, the company will be headed up by Gebeka’s Reginald de Guillebon and Wild Bunch’s Vincent Maraval. The 50/50 partnership will look to rep around five-six animated films per year, with CAA Media Finance handling domestic.
Vincent Maraval told us: “This is a natural extension for us. We’ve been wanting to do more animation. We’ve done three in the last year, including Where Is Anne Frank?, which debuts at Cannes, and Earwig And The Witch. The new films on the slate will be high-end movies that play on the major festival circuit or have awards potential.”
The plan is to hire a sales exec to manage the titles next year with this exec reporting to Wild Bunch Head Of International Sales Eva Diederix.
Announced in Annecy, the company will be headed up by Gebeka’s Reginald de Guillebon and Wild Bunch’s Vincent Maraval. The 50/50 partnership will look to rep around five-six animated films per year, with CAA Media Finance handling domestic.
Vincent Maraval told us: “This is a natural extension for us. We’ve been wanting to do more animation. We’ve done three in the last year, including Where Is Anne Frank?, which debuts at Cannes, and Earwig And The Witch. The new films on the slate will be high-end movies that play on the major festival circuit or have awards potential.”
The plan is to hire a sales exec to manage the titles next year with this exec reporting to Wild Bunch Head Of International Sales Eva Diederix.
- 6/17/2021
- by Andreas Wiseman
- Deadline Film + TV
New independent label will handle sales on five to six high-end animated features a year.
Paris-based sales powerhouse Wild Bunch International (Wbi) and leading French animation distributor Gebeka Films are joining forces to create joint animation world sales label Gebeka International.
“The long-term goal is to handle sales on five to six big independent animated features with festival and awards potential a year,” explained Wbi co-head Vincent Maraval.
He will oversee the new venture with Gebeka Films president Réginald de Guillebon.
Lyon-based Gebeka Films specialises in releasing high-end French and European animated features in France. Past releases include Rémi Chayé’s Calamity,...
Paris-based sales powerhouse Wild Bunch International (Wbi) and leading French animation distributor Gebeka Films are joining forces to create joint animation world sales label Gebeka International.
“The long-term goal is to handle sales on five to six big independent animated features with festival and awards potential a year,” explained Wbi co-head Vincent Maraval.
He will oversee the new venture with Gebeka Films president Réginald de Guillebon.
Lyon-based Gebeka Films specialises in releasing high-end French and European animated features in France. Past releases include Rémi Chayé’s Calamity,...
- 6/16/2021
- by Melanie Goodfellow
- ScreenDaily
“F9” became the most-watched foreign film in South Korea since the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic on another weekend where Hollywood and Japanese titles dominated the South Korean box office.
The weekend box office chart was headed by “Cruella,” which held strong in its third frame and swapped places with newer “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.”
“Cruella” scored $1.82 million according to data from Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s film tracking service, down just 17% from its second outing. Since release on May 26, “Cruella” has accumulated $8.29 million.
“The Conjuring 2” earned $1.45 million, a 46% drop compared with its opening weekend. Since June 3, it has earned $5.51 million.
New release, “Wrath of Man” came in third. It took $967,000 between Friday and Sunday and $1.44 million since opening in Korean cinemas on June 9.
“F9” slipped another gear and shifted down from third place to fourth with $746,000 over the weekend. But its racy performance...
The weekend box office chart was headed by “Cruella,” which held strong in its third frame and swapped places with newer “The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It.”
“Cruella” scored $1.82 million according to data from Kobis, the Korean Film Council’s film tracking service, down just 17% from its second outing. Since release on May 26, “Cruella” has accumulated $8.29 million.
“The Conjuring 2” earned $1.45 million, a 46% drop compared with its opening weekend. Since June 3, it has earned $5.51 million.
New release, “Wrath of Man” came in third. It took $967,000 between Friday and Sunday and $1.44 million since opening in Korean cinemas on June 9.
“F9” slipped another gear and shifted down from third place to fourth with $746,000 over the weekend. But its racy performance...
- 6/13/2021
- by Patrick Frater
- Variety Film + TV
Sunny weather didn’t adversely affect box office takings too much.
RankFilm (Distributor)Three-day gross (May 28-30)Total gross to dateWeek 1 Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (Sony) £2m £8.2m 2 2 The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (Warner Bros) £1.9m £3m 1 3 Cruella (Disney) £1.5m £1.9m 1 4 Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (Sony) £302,928 £693,081 1 5 Godzilla Vs. Kong (Warner Bros) £254,000 £1.8m 2
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.42
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway held top spot at the UK box office for a second weekend, as results held firm from last week’s good start despite sunny weather across much of the territory.
The Sony animation-live action...
RankFilm (Distributor)Three-day gross (May 28-30)Total gross to dateWeek 1 Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway (Sony) £2m £8.2m 2 2 The Conjuring: The Devil Made Me Do It (Warner Bros) £1.9m £3m 1 3 Cruella (Disney) £1.5m £1.9m 1 4 Demon Slayer: Mugen Train (Sony) £302,928 £693,081 1 5 Godzilla Vs. Kong (Warner Bros) £254,000 £1.8m 2
Gbp to Usd conversion rate: 1.42
Peter Rabbit 2: The Runaway held top spot at the UK box office for a second weekend, as results held firm from last week’s good start despite sunny weather across much of the territory.
The Sony animation-live action...
- 6/1/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
The Disney title will aim to shift ‘Peter Rabbit 2’ from the top spot.
Disney’s Cruella becomes the first title to debut in over 500 locations since UK cinemas reopened, as the number of releases grows following last weekend’s strong box office showing.
There are 10 new films debuting in UK cinemas today, plus an additional one which opened on Wednesday. This is up on the five that opened last Friday; at least 11 films did come out on Monday 17 when cinemas reopened, although several of these had previously been released on VoD during the shutdown.
Cruella will be available on...
Disney’s Cruella becomes the first title to debut in over 500 locations since UK cinemas reopened, as the number of releases grows following last weekend’s strong box office showing.
There are 10 new films debuting in UK cinemas today, plus an additional one which opened on Wednesday. This is up on the five that opened last Friday; at least 11 films did come out on Monday 17 when cinemas reopened, although several of these had previously been released on VoD during the shutdown.
Cruella will be available on...
- 5/28/2021
- by Ben Dalton
- ScreenDaily
Any new Studio Ghibli production is bound to be met with incredibly high expectations due to their phenomenal output over the past three decades. But even if a new feature arrived peppered with blemishes in pivotal areas i.e. script, characters, arcs and direction, one would still expect to see their incomparable style, surrealism and quirky characters present, which make up such a huge part of why we fell in love with them in the first place.
Sadly, in the case of their latest, Earwig and the Witch, these qualities are scarce to the point of seeming non-existent. The film also falls short in the aforementioned areas making it below par by any standard, and Ghibli in name only, despite being directed by Goro Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki.
The script, based on a novel by Diana Wynne Jones (Howl’s Moving Castle), flows well for the...
Sadly, in the case of their latest, Earwig and the Witch, these qualities are scarce to the point of seeming non-existent. The film also falls short in the aforementioned areas making it below par by any standard, and Ghibli in name only, despite being directed by Goro Miyazaki and produced by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki.
The script, based on a novel by Diana Wynne Jones (Howl’s Moving Castle), flows well for the...
- 5/27/2021
- by Daniel Goodwin
- HeyUGuys.co.uk
Gorō Miyazaki’s foray into computer generation, a magical tale of a gleeful brat adopted by a witch, falls far short of Ghibli’s hand-drawn output
Eighty-year-old animation legend Hayao Miyazaki once described computer-generated imagery as “thin, shallow, fake”. Now Studio Ghibli has made its first ever fully CG feature, and it’s, well, erm … The politest thing to say about Earwig and the Witch is that it’s not a patch on Ghibli’s hand-drawn output, with plasticky-looking characters and an aimless plot. More painfully still, the film-maker responsible is Miyazaki’s son, Gorō Miyazaki (who previously directed the pretty decent Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill).
To be fair, Earwig was made for Japanese TV, but there are so many echoes here of Ghibli films past that it’s impossible not to compare and despair. Like Howl’s Moving Castle, the script is based on a...
Eighty-year-old animation legend Hayao Miyazaki once described computer-generated imagery as “thin, shallow, fake”. Now Studio Ghibli has made its first ever fully CG feature, and it’s, well, erm … The politest thing to say about Earwig and the Witch is that it’s not a patch on Ghibli’s hand-drawn output, with plasticky-looking characters and an aimless plot. More painfully still, the film-maker responsible is Miyazaki’s son, Gorō Miyazaki (who previously directed the pretty decent Tales from Earthsea and From Up on Poppy Hill).
To be fair, Earwig was made for Japanese TV, but there are so many echoes here of Ghibli films past that it’s impossible not to compare and despair. Like Howl’s Moving Castle, the script is based on a...
- 5/27/2021
- by Cath Clarke
- The Guardian - Film News
Before “Earwig and the Witch”’s release, its press excitement seemed to build over the years. The film represents Studio Ghibli’s first foray into 3D CGI animation; furthermore, it signifies Goro Miyazaki’s own directorial debut, marking a significant departure from his father’s (Hayao Miyazaki) strictly traditional ways. Its release also promised glamor: with a premiere plan at Cannes 2020 and a star-studded English dub cast (including pop-country cameo Kacey Musgraves!), the film’s PR team seemed to tie all its loose ends together. In retrospect however, the hype feels more over-compensatory than is justified. “Earwig and the Witch” fails to live up to its expectations, making it difficult to forgive Studio Ghibli for staining its pristine filmography like so.
From the get-go, “Earwig and the Witch” squeezes itself into the Ghibli lineage. Like “Howl’s Moving Castle,” it is yet another adaptation of a Diana Wynne Jones novel. The...
From the get-go, “Earwig and the Witch” squeezes itself into the Ghibli lineage. Like “Howl’s Moving Castle,” it is yet another adaptation of a Diana Wynne Jones novel. The...
- 4/24/2021
- by Grace Han
- AsianMoviePulse
National-holiday-studded Golden Week, which runs from April 29 to May 5, has long been a peak movie-going period, especially for vacationing schoolkids and their families. But this year, with a state of emergency looming for Tokyo and Osaka, as well as two prefectures adjacent to Japan’s second-largest city, box office prospects look less than bright.
Last year, following an April 7 state of emergency declaration covering the Tokyo and Osaka metro areas, entertainment businesses, including theaters, began shutting down. By the time they started reopening, in mid-May, Golden Week had come and gone with a total box office of approximately zero.
This year, the situation may not be so dire, but on Tuesday Toho Cinemas, which operates the country’s biggest theater chain, announced that, starting on Friday, it would only sell same-day tickets at the box office and online, with a few exceptions. Two smaller chains – the Cinema Sunshine Group and...
Last year, following an April 7 state of emergency declaration covering the Tokyo and Osaka metro areas, entertainment businesses, including theaters, began shutting down. By the time they started reopening, in mid-May, Golden Week had come and gone with a total box office of approximately zero.
This year, the situation may not be so dire, but on Tuesday Toho Cinemas, which operates the country’s biggest theater chain, announced that, starting on Friday, it would only sell same-day tickets at the box office and online, with a few exceptions. Two smaller chains – the Cinema Sunshine Group and...
- 4/22/2021
- by Mark Schilling
- Variety Film + TV
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