GKIDS, the New York-based studio bringing beloved animated films to homes for generations, has acquired the North American audiovisual distribution rights to Spirited Away: Live on Stage. The live-action presentation recreates Hayao Miyazaki‘s classic fantasy film about a young girl who escapes to a magical world filled with danger, dragons, and spirits looking to rest their weary souls. Screenings of the Spirited Away stage play reportedly capture the entire performance from a front-row row view, bringing fans of Miyazaki’s enigmatic story closer to Chiriho’s journey than ever before. The recording is from the stage show’s 2022 run at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo, Japan.
Spirited Away: Live on Stage features Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi as the story’s brave protagonist Chihiro Ogino. Honorary associate director of England’s Royal Shakespeare Company, John Caird, oversees the production, filled with mythical creatures, elaborate stage magic, and detailed sets to help bring the magic of Miyazaki’s story to life on stage. The play features Kotaro Daigo and Hiroki Miura as Haku, Chihiro’s enchanted friend with a secret. Mari Natsuki, who voices the witch Yubaba and her older twin Zeniba in the original animated film, joins the cast. Accomplished stage actor Romi Park is also a part of the mix.
“It felt very emotional,” Natsuki said about reprising her role as the menacing twins, each with heads more prominent than a well-fed forest spirit. “I never thought that I would be playing the same role on stage two decades later. Just like Kanna, I would like to play like a debutante and enjoy this stage version as a completely new one.”
Spirited Away is considered by many (including myself) to be one of the greatest animated films of all time. If you’ve managed to miss it and don’t know what Spirited Away is all about, you can check out the movie’s synopsis below:
Chihiro’s family is moving to a new house. Still, when they stop on the way to explore an abandoned village, her parents undergo a mysterious transformation, and Chihiro is whisked into a world of fantastic spirits ruled over by the sorceress Yubaba. Put to work in a magical bathhouse for spirits and demons, Chihiro must use all her wits to survive in this strange new place, find a way to free her parents, and return to the ordinary world. Overflowing with imaginative creatures and thrilling storytelling, Spirited Away became a worldwide smash hit and is one of the most critically-acclaimed films of all time.
“We are thrilled to offer this unique opportunity for Studio Ghibli fans in America to experience the stage production that wowed Japanese press and audiences last year. This imaginative stage adaptation by the legendary John Caird, featuring two wonderful performances by lead actors Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi, helps bring to life one of the greatest films of all time in a dazzling new way,” GKIDS president David Jesteadt said about the stage play.
Are you excited about the Spirited Away stage play making its way to cinemas in the United States? Let us know in the comments below.