This past year held some pleasant surprises for fans of Hayao Miyazaki. The legendary director recently announced he’s coming out of retirement to direct his final feature, and earlier this week, Spirited Away (2001) returned to theaters for a limited time. And 2017 is also shaping up to be a good year for the fanbase: As Screenrant reports, Princess Mononoke (1997) will play in select theaters across the U.S. this coming January.
In celebration of the film’s 20th anniversary, Fathom Events and Studio Ghibli’s American distributors GKIDS are joining forces for a special two-day event. The first screening scheduled for January 5 will feature the original Japanese audio with English subtitles. The second screening on January 9 will spotlight the English dub featuring Claire Danes, Billy Crudup, and Minnie Driver. Spectators at both showings will be treated to a bonus look at the rare music video Miyazaki directed for Japanese band Chage & Aska’s song “On Your Mark” in 1995. Animation enthusiasts can reserve tickets today through Fathom Events.
When Princess Mononoke debuted in 1997, it toppled box office records to become Japan’s highest grossing film. Today the movie is considered one of the best works to come out of Studio Ghibli. When it’s re-released on January 5, Princess Mononoke fans will have a second reason to celebrate: The date also marks Miyazaki’s 76th birthday. Despite more than 30 years with Ghibli, the director is still hard at work at what he promises is one last feature for the studio.
[h/t Screenrant]
December 6, 2016 – 11:00am