Thanks once again to Twitch, we have the UK trailer for Arrietty, Studio Ghibli’s adaptation of Mary Norton’s children’s novel The Borrowers. The marketing material says “inspired by,” because it’s a loose adaptation, with Ghibli relocating the tale to Japan.
Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, the film came out last year in Japan, where it won Animation of the Year in the 2010 Japan Academy Prize (a.k.a. the Japanese Academy Awards). Two English dubs have been prepped for their upcoming US and UK releases. (The US version stars Bridgit Mendler, Will Arnett, Amy Poehler and Carol Burnett, while the UK version has Saoirse Ronan, Mark Strong, Olivia Coleman and Tom Holland providing voices.) Arrietty hits UK theaters on August 26, 2011, and the United States on February 17, 2012.
New Studio Ghibli! YAY!!! This looks so good. And hey, Mark Strong, he’s great.
I’m not totally against dubbing, I remember reading somewhere that Miyazaki himself said that people should be able to enjoy the Ghibli flms in their native language and counts the French dub of Porco Rosso to be one of his favourites. Yeah I watch them in original Japanese when I can, but I give the dubs a chance.
Do find the fact that they’ve got different dubcasts for UK and US a wee bit odd though.
I’m a massive Ghibli fan, but this doesn’t ring for me for reasons I can’t articulate. Feels like there’s something missing.
Dubbing: While I prefer subtitles for live action, I like dubbing for animation. I think it’s because animation is dubbed anyway, that dubbing never seems be out of place.
One of my favourite books growing up, and one of my favourite movie studios now. And.. I feel happy about this. I have been meaning to pick up the Japanese version but I don’t mind the dubwork from what I’ve seen. (I really enjoyed Princess Mononoke’s though so YMMV)
The Borrowers! Studio Ghibli! I love this combination! I tried reading the entire Borrowers series when I was a kid. Never made it… (a wiki search later) There were only 4 books?! Man, I’m a reading wuss.
It’s nice to see them return to this style of animation after “Ponyo,” which I didn’t care for on the whole.