Wikipedia and the Ultimate Disney forums are reporting that Tales From Earthsea (Gedo Senki), Goro Miyazaki's 2006 directoral debut, will be released in the US in theatres on July, 2010.
I am currently scrambling to find some confirmation, as this story is being spread around the internet far and wide. I would expect to see Gedo Senki on DVD (and eventually Blu-Ray), but a theatrical run? This would be very remarkable. But I remember similar plans made for Nausicaa a few years ago, and those plans fell through. I'll believe it when I see it, but relations between Ghibli and Disney have thawed dramatically this year.
I'm no fan of Goro-san's Earthsea movie. I think it's the worst film in the Ghibli roster by a mile. Even so, Studio Ghibli on the big screen in America is such a rare event that it's worth turning out.
8 comments:
Odd that they would choose this movie. They would be better off having another go at Nausicaa.
I'm very, very curious to see Earthsea. The trailer at least looked beautiful to me, and the music. But I'd rather have them just skip it to DVD so I could watch the Japanese... not to mention this means we're getting it four years late anyway! Grr.
I think "Tales of Earthsea" is a magnificent film, taking into account that this is the FIRST FILM, created by Goro Miyazaki. Though very much untrue to the books, Goro still draws heavily on the artistic legacy of his father. (Hayao Miyazaki's manga "Suna no Tabi" is even credited in the closing titles!)
Well, I'm glad if you like the movie, Neo. It's probably wiser to give Goro-san some slack, considering his lack of experience. I think the family drama was as much responsible for his backlash as anything, and that's something that will fade over time. I'm interested to hear what Americans think of Earthsea when it's released here next year.
Say, have you read my posts about Heidi and Marco fansubs? I'm guessing you know a few people, and if you check the comments, you might find a few who are willing to help.
On the fansub front, the two movies we really should work on are L:ittle Prince and the 8-Headed Dragon (1963), and Ali Baba and the 40 Thieves (1971). Ali Baba was Miyazaki's last movie at Toei before he split with Takahata and Kotabe.
This is your most recent post about Gedo Senki, so I'll leave my comments here...
I watched this movie about a year ago without knowing anything about the controversy or drama between father and son beforehand. I simply heard that Miyazaki's son had directed a movie, and downloaded a fansub of it.
I thought it was a beautiful film. I'm not unfamiliar with other Ghibli works, and I recognized a lot of the obvious "thefts," but that didn't make it a bad movie for me. The main criticism I would make is that the animation seemed less detailed overall, and I got the impression that the budget was lower than your typical Miyazaki film.
Afterwards, when I read about the feud, the main character made a lot more sense to me.
I look at the stituation this way... For one thing, Hayao Miyazaki is a human being, not a god of creation, and like anyone else, he is flawed. This whole attitude directed at Goro of "how dare he publicly criticize Miyazaki-sama" seems really silly to me, because Goro is his son and Hayao probably was a bad-to-mediocre father in terms of being there for his kids.
I guarantee you that when Hayao dies, Goro's feelings will change, he will take up the mantle, and he will be celebrated for carrying on his father's legacy.
Even if he never lives up to his father's level of skill as an artist, people are going to appreciate having a living Miyazaki making anime, and people won't be concerned about a feud they had when Goro was a fledgling director.
People will probably look back on Gedo Senki as "the seminal and tormented film of an artist in the shadow of his father," and treasure it for its emotional realness, or "honesty," as Hayao put it himself. I think that's how I'm going to see it, anyway.
I agree, Tales from Earthsea is the worst of the Ghibli movies. It is an accomplished movie in its music, animation and voice acting, but it is just missing that special something that practically every other Ghibli film has. I appreciated the English version, so if this piece of news is true, it might come as a delight for those waiting to see it on the big screen and with good voice talents.
In all fairness, I do hope Tales From Earthsea is eventually seen in the US. Ghibli fans should have the chance to experience it for themselves. And if there is a theatrical release, so much the better. We so rarely get to see these movies in a theater.
I know this post is old, but I actually saw Gedo Senki during its severely limited U.S. theatrical release (at the very last New York screening, in fact). I honestly don't see why so many Ghibli fans consider it sub-par. Am rather disappointed that it showed in only two or three U.S. cities, and for only a week or so.
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