GKIDS Acquires Mary and the Witch's Flower for Winter Release

GKIDS Films has secured the US rights to Mary and the Witch's Flower in early August, and has begun recording the dub soundtrack for its upcoming theatrical release. The American cast includes Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent Wing, Ewen Bremner, Louis Ashbourne Serkis, and Ruby Barnhill in the title role. The movie is currently scheduled for a "winter" release.

This is the first movie from Studio Ponoc, a studio founded by former Studio Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura and staffed by Ghibli alumni. Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi, a protege of Hayao Miyazaki, has previously directed The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie Was There.

Mary was released in July to Japanese theaters and received positive reviews from critics and fans. According to Box Office Mojo, the film has earned $27,642,406, making it the 12th highest-grossing movie for the year in Japan.

The movie is adapted from the 1971 children's novel by Mary Stewart, The Little Broomstick. The Japanese screenplay was written by Riko Sakaguchi and Yonebayashi. The American screenplay adaptation was written by David and Lynda Freedman. The English-language soundtrack is produced by Geoffrey Wexler (longtime Ghibli collaborator) and executive produced by Will Clarke.