Belle & The Summit of Gods to Premiere at Cannes Festival

The upcoming Studio Chizu’s Belle is becoming one of anime’s celebrated directors, Mr. Hosoda Mamoru’s magnum opus.

Belle marks the 10th anniversary of Studio Chizu. The studio is known for much-acclaimed films such as Mirai and Wolf Children.

Even though they are notorious for their long production cycles, the quality shown through their promo is just breathtaking, and no place is better than Cannes to show off your movie.

The official website for the 2021 Cannes film festival has announced that Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu’s Belle will premiere at the festival on July 15th. The Japanese release will soon follow on July 16th.

✨#Belle, the new animation film by Mamoru Hosoda in will world premiere at #Cannes2021 in the #CannesPremiere section! It is the first #OfficialSelection for the Japanese director. More info ► https://t.co/G8E6Qg7HV1 pic.twitter.com/PTQGgKflfu
— Festival de Cannes (@Festival_Cannes) July 4, 2021

Belle marks the first-ever movie by Hosoda to be selected for the Cannes premiere. The film follows the tale of Belle, an idol in the virtual world of “U” as she uncovers the mystery of the Beast who haunts this magnum virtual space.

Additionally, the Festival will also screen the French CG animation film, The Summit of Gods, based on Jiro Taniguchi’s original manga.

"The Summit of the Gods" (Le Sommet des Dieux) french animated movie by Patrick Imbert is coming to Cannes Festival (world premiere).
Based on Jiro Taniguchi's manga.https://t.co/hc1rheNgHm https://t.co/tfH3o8p56h pic.twitter.com/TzHoRARJ30
— Catsuka (@catsuka) June 30, 2021

The story follows two best friends, Fukamachi, an avid photographer, and Habu Joji, a fabled climber. Both set out on an adventurous journey to recover the lost history of George Mallory, a mountaineer who went missing on Mount Everest.

Coming back to Belle, Cannes has always been a prestigious space for any movie. However, with Belle’s inherent inspiration from western art, the western release will be a glorious kick-off for the film.

READ: Studio Chizu’s Belle Film Releases Hair-Raising Trailer, Set for July Debut

The film also has contributions from non-japanese artists and designers who have worked on Frozen and The Secret of Kells.

Needless to say, the hype for the dream-like landscape and story is through the roof, with just two weeks left for release. So don’t forget to watch it!