Studio Ghibli Officially Announces Their CG Animated Film AYA AND THE WITCH
Studio Ghibli is working on a new computer generated animated film that has been a mystery until recently. Now we know that Goro Miyazaki, the son of legendary Hayao Miyazaki, is directing Aya and the Witch which is based on Earwig and the Witch by Diana Wynne Jones. Fans are likely to be excited as Jones wrote the book Howl’s Moving Castle which was adapted in 2004 by Studio Ghibli into a very popular film.
Most orphanages are horrible, but Earwig has a surprising amount of power over everyone at St Morwald’s Home for Children, and loves it there. The last thing she wants is to be adopted by the very strange Bella Yaga, demon-attended Mandrake, and talking black cat Thomas. Earwig wants to learn magic, but will need all her ingenuity and help from a familiar to survive. Expressive big eyes, twisty mouths, on stick figures flesh out the characters, action, and ravens and spiders adorn the margins.
Producer of the film and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, Toshio Suzuki, shared a statement about how he thinks the film will do after COVID-19 and what he’s excited for audiences to see in the film.
After corona, how the world changes? That’s the biggest concern for many types of people now. Even the movie and television industry can’t avoid that. Can Aya and the Witch do well after corona? I thought about that many times when I was watching the early footage. Then I realized the big characteristic of the movie is Aya’s wisdom. If only we have wisdom, we can overcome anything in any era. When I thought about that, I was relieved.
If Pippi Longstocking is the story of the world’s strongest girl. Aya is the story of the world’s smartest girl. Aya is cheeky but somehow cute. I hope she is loved by many types of people. By the way, I thought Aya reminded me of someone, then it turned out it was Goro himself, who was the director of the movie. When I told that to him he looked bashful.
Aya and the Witch is set to release later this year in Japan via Japan's NHK general TV and there’s no word on a wider release at the moment.
Via: EW
