Studio Ghibli

Geek Gifts: Awesome Movie/TV T-Shirts Inspired by Studio Ghibli, SUPERMAN, BREAKING BAD, HARRY POTTER, STAR WARS, TRON, and a Lot More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: May 21st, 2012 at 5:28 pm

A few days ago, I posted an awesome Loki figure from The Avengers made by Hot Toys.  It was the first “Geek Gifts” article in a long time and I mentioned that the response to the post would determine if we’d continue the column.  Let’s just say it was a success.  So, as promised, it’s time for another “Geek Gifts” article and this one is especially relevant for those that like cool t-shirts.

If you’ve ever seen my video interviews, you know I love wearing t-shirts.  I especially love wearing shirts that are inspired by my favorite movies and TV shows.  Recently, a friend turned me onto a company called RedBubble, and they let their users submit their own designs and some of them are pretty great.  Since I know a lot of you don’t have the time to go through the thousands of reader submissions, I’ve done the legwork for you.  So hit the jump if you like Studio Ghibli, Breaking Bad, Star Wars, Harry Potter, Tron, the original Superman, Battle of the Planets, The Lion King, and more.

New English-Language Trailer for NI NO KUNI; US Release Delayed until 2013

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: April 13th, 2012 at 7:46 am

Studio Ghibli and Level-5′s video game Ni No Kuni was one of my most-anticipated games of 2012.  Now it will have to be one of my most-anticipated games of 2013.  The PlayStation 3 game has already been released in Japan, and it was originally schedule to be released in the US this spring.  Then this spring turned into this winter.  Now this winter has turned into early 2013.  I’m not sure why there’s such a long delay, but it looks like we’ll have to tough it out and wait even longer for this gorgeous-looking RPG.

Adding insult to injury, a new English-language trailer has gone online, and it makes the game look even more spectacular.  Studio Ghibli’s wonderful storytelling seems to have easily made the transition to the gaming world, and so here’s hoping that Level-5 has delivered on the gameplay side.  Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Then remember you either have to wait almost a year to play the game.

Bridgit Mendler Talks THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY, Her Upcoming CD, and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: February 17th, 2012 at 9:22 am

Opening today in America is Studio Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arrietty.  Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and written by Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa, the film is an adaptation of Mary Norton‘s children’s novels The Borrowers, which focuses on miniscule people who attempt to hide their existence and “borrow” items from human beings in order to survive.  I recently saw the film and it’s fantastic.  It’s also great for both kids and adults.  Absolutely recommended.

Recently, I got to speak with Bridgit Mendler (she voices Arrietty).  We talked about how the movie shows our world but from a different perspective, does she have a favorite Studio Ghibli movie, how she got cast, the recording process, karaoke, and she also talks about her upcoming CD.  Hit the jump to watch.

Carol Burnett and Amy Poehler Talk THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY, Dunkin Donuts, Karaoke, and More

by Steve 'Frosty' Weintraub    Posted: February 16th, 2012 at 9:01 am

Opening tomorrow in America is Studio Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arrietty.  Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and written by Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa, the film is an adaptation of Mary Norton‘s children’s novels The Borrowers, which focuses on miniscule people who attempt to hide their existence and “borrow” items from human beings in order to survive.  I recently saw the film and it’s fantastic.  It’s also great for both kids and adults.  Absolutely recommended.

Recently, I got to speak with Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett (they voice two of the characters).  We talked about how the movie shows our world but from a different perspective, do they have a favorite Studio Ghibli movie, is there anything in comedy that’s off limits, karaoke, Dunkin Donuts, and more.  Hit the jump to watch.

Mondo to Release MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO Posters by Olly Moss

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 14th, 2011 at 2:34 pm

On Friday, Mondo will release two prints for Hayao Miyazaki’s My Neighbor Totoro by Olly Moss because of course they are.  They already have licenses for Pixar, DC Comics, Star Trek, and eventually everything else you love or will ever love.  The Totoro poster coincides with the start of the IFC Center’s Studio Ghibli retrospective.  Mondo is also planning to release a poster for Miyazaki’s Porco Rosso.

The folks who pick up some Totoro greatness should know that their money will go to a good cause (an actual good cause, not getting an awesome poster for yourself).  Mondo and Studio Ghibli will donate all profits to Ghetto Film School, a non-profit organization of educators and students who share of storytelling and filmmaking.  Hit the jump for the press release and more details on the poster and its variant.  The posters will go on sale at a random time on Friday.  Be sure you’re following @MondoNews for the announcement.

New Preview for Studio Ghibli and Level 5′s Visually Stunning Video Game, NI NO KUNI: WRATH OF THE WHITE WITCH

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 1st, 2011 at 11:44 am

Back in October, we told you about an upcoming PlayStation 3 JRPG (Japanese Role-Playing Game) called Ni No Kuni.  The game is notable not only for its gorgeous graphics, but because it comes from the celebrated animation studio, Studio Ghibli.  Studio Ghibli has been home to Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, and the rest of Hayao Miyazaki’s filmography.  While he was not personally involved with the game, Ghibli has told other great stories and I hope that Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is one of them.

A new preview for the game has gone online and gives a better idea of what we can expect from Ghibli’s collaboration with game developer Level-5 (Dragon Quest IX).  The story revolves around Oliver, a young boy who is transported to a magical world where he attempts to find his deceased mother.  There doesn’t seem to be anything revolutionary about the gameplay, but sometimes it’s better to do a solid job with something familiar rather than innovate for innovation’s sake (I’m looking at you, every Final Fantasy game since Final Fantasy X-2).  Hit the jump to check out the preview.  Ni No Kuni: Wrath of the White Witch is due out in the U.S. in the first quarter of 2012, but it might get pushed back a little.

IFC Center to Run Complete Studio Ghibli Retrospective Beginning December 16th; Limited Theatrical Debuts Planned for 2012

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: November 14th, 2011 at 11:26 am

Earlier this year I was able to do a Hayao Miyazaki retrospective through Netflix DVD rentals, but his films lose their cinematic scope on the small screen.  Characters in My Neighbor Totoro (tied with Spirited Away as my favorite Miyazaki film), Castle in the Sky, and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind soar through the air through massive landscapes and it would be wonderful to see these movies in theaters.  Thankfully, that opportunity will come to New York’s IFC Center beginning December 16th when Studio Ghibli and distributor GKIDS do a 15-film retrospective, which will include Miyazaki’s films.  The retrospective will run until January 12th, feature new 35mm prints, and will run both subtitled and English-dubbed versions.

But it gets even better.  GKIDS plans to bring the retrospective to Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington D.C., Toronto, Boston, San Francisco, Seattle, and other major markets in early 2012.  Fingers crossed one of those markets is Atlanta.  And even if it isn’t, GKIDS is also planning limited releases of select Studio Ghibli titles, many of which have never been released theatrically in the US.  If these movies swing by your city, make sure you check them out.  Hit the jump for the full press release and list of movies playing in the retrospective.  Advance tickets can be purchased at gkids.com.

Trailer and Poster for Studio Ghibli’s THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 25th, 2011 at 11:09 am

Disney has released the trailer and poster for Studio Ghibli’s The Secret World of Arrietty.  The film is an adaptation of Mary Norton‘s children’s novels The Borrowers, which focuses on miniscule people who attempt to hide their existence and steal (or borrow without intent to return) items from human beings in order to survive.  The trailer makes the movie look delightful and something kids and their parents would really enjoy.  Click here to read David Corbin’s positive review of the Japanese-language version.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer and poster.  The English-dubbed version features the voices of Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, David Henrie, and Moises Arias.  The Secret World of Arrietty opens February 17, 2012.

New Trailer for NI NO KUNI, Studio Ghibli and Level-5′s Gorgeous-Looking RPG

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: October 17th, 2011 at 12:07 pm

A new Japanese trailer for the beautiful-looking RPG Ni no Kuni has gone online. The PlayStation 3 game was created by Level-5 (the folks behind the Professor Layton games) and Studio Ghibli, the animation studio co-created by the legendary Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away).  I can’t remember the last time I saw a video game that was so visually stunning.  I have no idea what’s being said by anyone in this trailer, but there are plenty of crazy Japanese RPG elements floating around and there seems to be a nice variety of combat, puzzles, and exploration.  Level-5 put together some great RPGs on other systems (Rogue Galaxy, Jeanne d’Arc, and Dragon Quest VIII), but they’re still looking for their PS3 RPG hit since the also-visually-impressive White Knight Chronicles games have been met with a lukewarm-at-best response.  If Ni no Kuni‘s gameplay matches its visuals, it will be one of the best games ever made.

Hit the jump to check out the trailer.  Ni no Kuni (literally translated as “Second Country: The Queen of White Sacred Ash“) hits stores in Japan on November 17th and is due out in the U.S. in early 2012.

Studio Ghibli Announces New Films from Co-Founders Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: September 5th, 2011 at 9:27 am

Not every film from Studio Ghibli is a home run but they’re always worthy of attention, especially when they come from co-founders Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) and Isao Takahata (Grave of the Fireflies).  Miyazaki has announced that he’s preparing a new film that’s an “autobiography” although he did not specify if it’s his autobiography or someone else’s.  It’s worth noting that last year Miyazaki said he’s considering a sequel to his 1992 film, Porco Rosso.  Whatever he chooses, don’t expect it any time soon since there’s usually a four-year wait between Miyazaki’s films (such is the nature of animation).

As for Takahata, he hasn’t directed a film since 1999′s My Neighbors the Yamadas but according to Twitch, he’s “reportedly working on a new film based on the classic Japanese tale about a princess who was discovered as a baby inside the stalk of a bamboo plant.”  That’s what makes bamboo so great: food for pandas, material for chairs, princess producer.  It’s a versatile plant.

Goro Miyazaki to Adapt Manga KOKURIKO-ZAKA KARA for Studio Ghibli

by Matt Goldberg    Posted: December 15th, 2010 at 9:04 am

Goro Miyazaki, son of legendary director Hayao Miyazaki, plans to adapt the 1980s manga Kokuriko-Zaka Kara for Studio Ghibli.  Collider reader Ettore alerted us to an article on the Anime News Network that the project was in development and set for release in Japan next summer.  Here’s the synopsis per ANN:

The story is set in Showa 38 (1963, a year before the Tokyo Olympics) and follows the coming of age of an ordinary, pigtailed high school girl named Komatsuzaki in Yokohama, a harbor city near Tokyo. Her sailor father went missing after an accident, and her photographer mother is frequently going abroad for work. The manga recounts Komatsuzaki’s everyday life of “laughter and tears” with a school newspaper member, the student council president, and other schoolmates.

Click here to check out the official website.  Hit the jump to learn about the reaction to Goro Miyazaki’s previous film, Tales from Earthsea.

Studio Ghibli Announcing New Project December 15

by Tiffany Peng    Posted: November 5th, 2010 at 9:43 am

Yesterday at the Rome International Film Festival, Koji Hoshino, president of the beloved Studio Ghibli, stated that that the company “will announce Ghibli’s new work on December 15,” but did not add any more details beyond that. There is speculation on whether Hoshino was referring to the possible Porco Rosso sequel that animation godfather and studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki mentioned to Cut magazine back in August. An article in Cinema Today expressed that it is still unknown whether this project will be something helmed by Miyazaki or a different director. Hit the jump to get my opinion on what this new project could be.

Hayao Miyazaki on the Future of Studio Ghibli and Possible PORCO ROSSO Sequel

by Ti Alan Chase    Posted: August 24th, 2010 at 7:50 am

Master animator Hayao Miyazaki gave an interview to the Japanese magazine Cut recently in which he discussed Studio Ghibli’s possible future.  He talked about his own involvement in Ghibli’s upcoming films – which he hopes will include a sequel to his 1992 feature Porco Rosso – and the possible dissolution of the Oscar winning studio.

The proposed sequel, entitled Porco Rosso: The Last Sortie would put the pig-faced fighter pilot in the middle of the Spanish Civil War.  The chance that this will end up being Miyazaki’s next film are probably pretty slim, though, since the director is notorious for getting excited about projects and then moving onto something else before they come to fruition.  He personally courted Ursula K. LeGuin for years for the rights to make an Earthsea film, but when she finally signed them over to him, he passed the job on to son Goro (with less than spectacular results).  Even Miyazaki himself admitted in the Cut interview that a Porco sequel might not be worth seriously considering, dismissing it as “an old man’s hobby.” Hit the jump to read the full scoop on what’s coming up at Studio Ghibli and my own thoughts on the chances of us every seeing Porco fly again.

Studio Ghibli’s THE BORROWERS Review

by David Corbin    Posted: August 20th, 2010 at 12:35 pm

The release of a Studio Ghibli animated film is always a hotly anticipated event in Japan. The animation studio, whose head Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away) is regarded as the “Walt Disney of Japan,” has been enchanting audiences worldwide since the premiere of Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind in 1984. Its latest film, The Borrowers, the work of long-time animator/first-time director Hiromasa Yonebayashi, bowed recently in Japan. Released over a holiday weekend, the film racked up approximately $15.5 million in ticket sales out of 447 screens and secured 1st place at the box office. The movie is based on Mary Norton’s book The Borrowers, the first in her five-book series chronicling the adventures of a diminutive family who make their life underneath the floorboards of a large house by borrowing small items from the big people. The film is a breezy, fanciful work which lives up to the Studio Ghibli banner. For the full review, hit the jump.

Poster Premiere for the Domestic Release of Goro Miyazaki’s TALES FROM EARTHSEA

by Ti Alan Chase    Posted: July 12th, 2010 at 9:12 am

Four years after its Japanese release, Tales from Earthsea is finally coming to America.  Back in 2006 and 2007 most of the world got to see Studio Ghibli’s “Gedo Senki”, an adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin’s Earthsea novels.  The film could not be released in the US, however, because SyFy owned the screen rights to the Earthsea property.  Now that those rights have expired, Disney is giving the film a limited release in the U.S. on August 13th. We are proud to premiere the gorgeous poster for the film.

Tales from Earthsea was directed by Goro Miyazaki, son of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki (Spirited Away, Ponyo).  The elder Miyazaki is the greatest director of animated films the world has ever seen and it will be very interesting to see how much of his brilliance was passed on to his son.  To find showtimes and to see the amazing poster for Tales from Earthsea hit the jump.

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