Studio Ghibli’s “When Marnie Was There” trailer

Animation magazine is reporting that GKIDS has unveiled a new trailer for the upcoming North American release of Studio Ghibli’s When Marnie Was There, which will open May 22 in New York City and Los Angeles before expanding nationwide. The 2D animated feature is the second from director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arrietty) and is based the novel by Joan G. Robinson.

From the site:

The English-language version is produced by Studio Ghibli and Geoffrey Wexler, and will feature the voices of Hailee Steinfeld, Kiernan Shipka, Grey Griffin, John C. Reilly, Vanessa Williams, Geena Davis, Ava Acres, Raini Rodriguez, Kathy Bates, Ellen Burstyn and Catherine O’Hara.

Synopsis: Sent from her foster home in the city one summer to a sleepy town by the sea in Hokkaido, Anna dreams her days away among the marshes. She believes she’s outside the invisible magic circle to which most people belong – and shuts herself off from everyone around her, wearing her “ordinary face.” Anna never expected to meet a friend like Marnie, who does not judge Anna for being just what she is. But no sooner has Anna learned the loveliness of friendship than she begins to wonder about her newfound friend…

News: The Tale of Studio Ghibli

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The economist is reporting  that in the wake of the retirement of its visionary director, Hayao Miyazaki, last year, Studio Ghibli is taking an indefinite break from the production of new feature films, citing high production costs. This is a profound loss to animation and cinema, and “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” is a vivid, bittersweet illustration of all the reasons why. With no British or American release dates announced for the studio’s latest effort “When Marnie Was There”, “The Tale of the Princess Kaguya” may go down as Studio Ghibli’s swansong on the international scene.

You can read the whole story here.