Arrietty the Borrower's US release has been delayed until February 17, 2012.
According to Deadline.com, Disney will not release Studio Ghibli's latest theatrical feature in North America this year as widely expected. Instead, the movie has scheduled for February of next year. An official announcement on release date and cast is expected soon.
Clearly, this is very frustrating and disappointing news. Arrietty is currently playing in theatres across France, and will soon be headed to the UK and Australia. Once again, the US and Canada are the last in line. By this time next year, Goro Miyazaki's Kokuriko-Zaka Kara will have already played on Japanese movie screens, and Ghibli will be gearing up for their next feature production, presumably Hayao Miyazaki's next epic.
Not only that, Arrietty will be released on Blu-Ray and DVD this summer in Japan, France, and possibly elsewhere. It is now entirely conceivable that a US theatrical release may not happen at all, and the movie would simply go directly to video. This does not bode well for the prospects of any future Studio Ghibli movies not directed by Miyazaki being seen on American movie screens. Is this an indication of the future of the Disney-Ghibli relationship? Some relationship.
This is very discouraging. We may have to wait for the next Hayao Miyazaki-directed film before we Americans can see Ghibli on the big screen again. This is why I told you to see Ponyo and Earthsea while we had the chance, kids.
8 comments:
I will laugh if Madman end up showing the dub in Australia months before it reaches US shores. Their website still refers to the film under its Japanese name, however, so it's not guaranteed.
Unfortunately here in Brazil it's even worse. Only "Spirited Away", "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" were officially released on DVD and were shown in theaters. "My Neighbour Totoro" was released only on VHS version many years ago.
Furthermore, as an example, "Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea" began to appear in our theaters (in few rooms) on July 2, 2010. And only in the second half of 2011 we will receive the Brazilian version of the sixth volume of the manga "Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind."
Amazingly, even with such difficulties, Studio Ghibli has a lot of fans in our country. A testament to the strength and quality of the work of Hayao Miyazaki and company.
Another whole year? And they don't give a reason why? Pffft...
This is very discouraging news indeed. The relationship between Disney and Studio Ghibli is sketchy at best and it's frustrating having to wait years to see the latest films from my favorite animation studio.
Quite frankly, I will just buy the japanese bluray, anyway. :3
Hear hear! Boku mo... ^_^
why disney must you deprive us of such quality films?? the dubbed are never as epic as the originals but still :( this saddens me.
'Arrietty' was playing in London when we visited but we didn't get a chance to see it, and now it's not available in the US. Disney treats Studio Ghibli shamefully. And we don't want it redubbed! Disney, why do you take our gorgeous diamond solitaire and return it a year later, broken into glitzy diamante pieces?
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