Great news anime fans, and fans of everything that is haunting yet wonderful! The stage play adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's beloved anime classic "Spirited Away" is finally headed to the U.S.! Better yet, you won't have to be exclusively in New York to see it, because GKIDS is set to release it in theaters across North America.
"Spirited Away" follows Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl who is on her way to a new home with her parents. While visiting an abandoned amusement park, Chihiro's parents are turned into pigs while she is sent to work at a magical bathhouse by a sorceress. It is left to Chihiro to find a way out of this magical and haunting place, get her parents back, and return to the normal world.
The film was a monumental success. It quickly became the highest-grossing film in Japanese history, a record it held for almost two decades until it was dethroned by juggernaut "Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train." It was cited by the Sight & Sound poll as one of the greatest films of all time and became the first and (sadly) so far only non-English-language animated film to win an Oscar.
The stage play (the first-ever production of the film) is directed and adapted by Tony-winner John Caird, who became internationally renowned for the landmark West End production of "Les Misérables," which has been running since 1985, while Toby Olié provides the puppetry design. GKIDS will release two separate filmed performances of the production, which stars Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi, double-cast as the lead Chihiro. Mari Natsuki, who voiced Yubaba and her twin sister Zeniba in the film, returns to her original role, accompanied by voice actor Romi Park.
Ghibli Magic Works In Every Medium
"Spirited Away" is not the only Studio Ghibli classic to get the stage play treatment, of course. Last year also saw the premiere of the highly-anticipated (and highly sought after, as virtually every performance sold out as soon as the first curtain rose) Royal Shakespeare Company adaptation of "My Neighbor Totoro" — technically titled "My Neighbour Totoro" for the Brits in the audience.
It is hard to put into words just how magical the "My Neighbor Totoro" stage musical is. Even if you have seen Miyazaki's film multiple times, it does not prepare you for the sheer, utter joy of seeing the iconic (yes, I said it) titular wood spirit come to life right there on the stage, courtesy of simply fantastic Jim Henson's Creature Shop. Sadly, the London production has come to an end, but if Chihiro can escape the bathhouse and reach American theaters, maybe too can Satsuki and Mei.
In the meantime, you can expect to experience Miyazaki's masterpiece in a whole new way when GKIDS releases the filmed version of the "Spirited Away" stage play in theaters in spring 2023.
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