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4:35 PM PST 02/25/2021
by
Patrick brzeski
The adaptation benefits from the full cooperation of Studio Ghibli and will be written and directed by Tony winner John Caird (“Les Misérables”).
The enchanting world of Japanese anime legend Hayao Miyazaki is heading to the stage.
The director’s beloved classic at the 2001 Oscars Abducted as if by magic will be adapted into a play for the first time, with a first date set for February 2022 in Tokyo. The adaptation will be produced by Japanese entertainment giant Toho, and written and directed by award-winning director Tony and Olivier John Caird (Wretched, Nickleby nickleby, Daddy long legs). Basically, Miyazaki’s notoriously reclusive Studio Ghibli gave the project their full support.
“We, Hayao and I both loved John’s vision; he’s a person we can trust, ”said longtime Miyazaki producer partner Toshio Suzuki. “I can not wait to see Chihiro grow on stage under his direction, ”he added, referring to Abducted as if by magicthe original Japanese title, Sen in Chihiro no Kamikakushi.
“I feel so excited and privileged to be working on the very first stage adaptation of Sen to Chihiro“Caird said in a statement.” For many years, I have considered Miyazaki Hayao to be one of the greatest geniuses in world cinema and the greatest advocate of the anime form. “
Abducted as if by magic premiered in 2001 and has grown into a global cultural phenomenon, earning $ 355 million and helping to spread mainstream international appreciation for Japanese hand-drawn anime. Like almost all of Miyazaki’s work, the heroine of the story is a brave and intelligent young girl, in this case Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl who moves with her parents to a new home. They soon get lost in a mysterious world of fantastic spirits, ruled by the witch Yubaba, who turns Chihiro’s parents into pigs. After a series of bizarre and dangerous challenges, including the loss of her identity, Chihiro must use her whole mind to survive in this strange place and return to the human world.
The role of Chihiro has already been dubbed for 22-year-old pop star-turned-film actress Kanna Hashimoto (Assassination class, Gintama), who will be making her stage debut, and Mone Kamishiraishi, best known for her voice world, the hit anime Your name.
Abducted as if by magic will premiere on stage at the Imperial Toho Theater in central Tokyo, performing there from February to March 2022. The production will then tour the Japanese cities of Osaka (April), Fukuoka (May), Sapporo ( June) and Nagoya (June and July)). Toho hopes to take the play to other parts of Asia and Europe, where Miyazaki’s work is extremely popular (Spirited Away, the film was released 18 years later in China in 2019, but still earned $ 69 million. of dollars).
Caird, honorary associate director of the Royal Shakespeare Company, said he had already spent more than 1,000 hours developing his stage version of Abducted as if by magic, and “can’t wait to spend thousands more”.
He added: “I share a belief in all of the most dominant themes of Miyazaki’s work, themes that are at the heart of the Sen to Chihiro world – concern for the environment, respect for nature, belief in the strength of good spirits in us and empowering young women and men to change the world for the better. I look forward to deepening my partnership with my dear friends at Toho through a new relationship with Studio Ghibli and Suzuki Toshio, their most generous and inventive lead producer. “
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