For those not in the know. Studio Ghibli is the Japanese they have a track record of putting out phenomenal film after phenomenal film. They hold themselves to a higher standard. It all starts with the story.
FIRST FEATURE IN 14 YEARS FROM LEGENDARY
CO-FOUNDER AND “GRAVE OF THE FIREFLIES” DIRECTOR, ISAO TAKAHATA
FILM TO RECEIVE FALL 2014 RELEASE AND AWARDS SUBMISSIONS
– March 12, 2014 – GKIDS, a distributor of award-winning animation for both adult and family audiences, announced that it has entered into a distribution agreement with Studio Ghibli for the North American rights to the upcoming animated feature THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA. Directed by Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata, the film is slated for a late 2014 theatrical release and Awards submissions.
The deal was negotiated by Eric Beckman from GKIDS and Geoffrey Wexler from Studio Ghibli, with GKIDS taking all theatrical, non-theatrical, home video and television rights in North America.
Eight years in the making, the film is the untold story of The Princess Kaguya, the heroine of the ancient Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter.
An English-language version is being produced by Studio Ghibli and Geoffrey Wexler, with Frank Marshall of Kennedy/Marshall Executive Producing. This is the same team that handled English versions for the two previous Studio Ghibli films, The Wind Rises and From Up on Poppy Hill.
GKIDS and Studio Ghibli partnered on the 2013 release of the animated feature From Up on Poppy Hill and GKIDS handles North American theatrical distribution for the Studio Ghibli library of films, one of the world’s most coveted animation collections with titles including Spirited Away, My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke and others. GKIDS also handles theatrical distribution for Isao Takahata’s Grave of the Fireflies, widely considered a masterpiece.
Found inside a shining stalk of bamboo, a tiny girl grows into an exquisite young lady, raised by an old bamboo cutter and his wife. From the countryside to the grand capital city, even unseen she enthralls all who encounter her, including five noble suitors. Ultimately she must face her fate, punishment for her crime.
Based on the classic Japanese folktale, The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter, THE TALE OF THE PRINCESS KAGUYA is the newest film from Studio Ghibli and the strikingly beautiful culmination of decades of contemplation by its director, Studio Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata.
