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Upon its release in 2001, Studio Ghibli’s Spirited Away became one of the most-loved animated films of all-time. It tells the story of Chihiro (Rumi Hiiragi, Daveigh Chase), a young girl whose parents have been turned into pigs. To free them, she becomes bound to servitude at a resort patronised by supernatural beings seeking a break from their time on Earth.
The film became the highest-grossing anime of all-time and the highest-grossing film in Japan, holding both titles for 19 years until Dragon Slayer: Mugen Train took its spots.
Spirited Away is arguably the most popular anime ever made. No wonder interest in adapting it in someway has finally been brought to the table! British director John Caird has been working hard on adapting the film for the stage. Stage-adaptations have been the only examples of a live-action adaptation of a Studio Ghibli property. Such is the case with Princess Mononoke and Nausicaa and the Valley of the Wind.
Stage Details
Caird met with the famously protective anime director Hayao Miyazaki and fellow Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki to discuss an adaptation of Spirited Away. Finally, after four years of discussions and development, Caird’s stage-adaptation will be opening at Tokyo’s Imperial Theater in February 2022. The adaptation is a part of the 90th-anniversary celebration of its distributor, Toho, most famous for producing the Godzilla franchise.
Stepping into (and sharing) the role of Chihiro will be two actresses. Kanna Hashimoto will be making her stage debut in the play, along with Mone Kamishiraishi. The latter previously worked with Caird on Knight’s Tale.
After opening in Tokyo, the play will then move on to Fukuoka in March. Later, it will move to Osaka in April, Sapporo in June, and end with a final two months in Nagoya. However, the producers have not confirmed whether the play will be taken overseas, but Toho has stated that it’s under consideration.
Source: Spirited Away stage play official website, Sora News 24
