A new Studio Ghibli movie is a rare thing – especially since the legendary Japanese animation house closed its doors following the release of 2014’s When Marnie Was There. But now Ghibli is back – not only is Hayao Miyazaki back in action after his planned retirement making How Do You Live?, but his son Goro Miyazaki has directed Earwig And The Witch, due in UK cinemas from 28 May.
In a break from tradition, this one doesn’t feature the usual Ghibli anime visual style – instead, it’s the studio’s first 3D-animated feature. But there are still plenty of Ghibli hallmarks: for one, it centres on a headstrong young girl (that’s the Earwig of the title, voiced in the UK dub by Taylor Paige Henderson) and her chatty little cat Thomas, voiced by Empire spirit animal Dan Stevens. Check them out in action in this exclusive clip.
Earwig And The Witch is based on a novel by Diana Wynne Jones and follows the title character, an orphan girl living in St. Morwald's Home for Children. She's adopted by a woman named Bella Yaga, who turns out to be a terrible witch and brings Earwig to live in her home of supernatural trinkets. With help Thomas, the girl must use her wits to survive...
Catch the film – also featuring the voice talents of Richard E. Grant, Vanessa Marshall, and singer Kacey Musgraves among the English-language cast – in UK cinemas from 28 May.