Studio Ghibli’s acclaimed film, Spirited Away, carries us off to an unbelievable journey just as its title promises. With a stage play adaptation in the works, the movie is ready to sweep us off our feet in a way that we have never experienced before.
The lines between good and evil are blurred in the anime film, and all characters have different sides to them.
The stage play has a long list of themes and motifs to keep in mind, but I believe that the new director will be able to bring the whole thing together brilliantly.
The official Twitter of Studio Ghibli announced that the anime film, Spirited Away, will be receiving its first stage play adaptation. The play will premiere at TOHO’s Imperial Theatre in Tokyo, Japan, from 22nd February to 22nd March 2022.
After its run in Tokyo, the play will tour other cities of Japan. It will debut in Osaka in April, Fukuoka in May, Sapporo in June, and Nagoya in June and July.
John Caird, the Tony and Olivier Award-winning stage director, will be in charge of Spirited Away’s stage play. Caird’s famous works include stage productions like Les Misérables, The Life and Adventures of Nicholas Nickleby, Daddy Long Legs, etc.
If there is anyone who can do justice to the creations of Hayao Miyazaki, then it is definitely this man!
Spirited Away has a star-studded cast as Chihiro’s character will be played by both Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi.
Caird has previously worked with Kamishiraishi in the Knight’s Tale and is looking forward to collaborating again. He is also pleased to be working with the “greatly talented, vivacious and moving young actress Hashimoto Kanna.”
Kamishiraishi and Hashimoto have been the cast for:
| Cast | Character | Live-Action Movie |
| Kanna Hashimoto | Kagura Kaguya Shinomiya | Gintama Kaguya-sama: Love is War! |
| Mone Kamishiraishi | Mitsuha Miyamizu Alita | Your name Alita Battle Angel |
With a fantastic cast and director, the upcoming stage play is carrying our high hopes, and we hope that the play is just as ethereal as the anime film itself.
About Spirited Away
Spirited Away is a 2001 anime film by Studio Ghibli that won the Oscar in 2003. Hayao Miyazaki wrote and directed the acclaimed film.
The film is about a 10-year old girl, Chihiro, who enters the world of spirits. Her parents are turned into pigs by the witch Yubaba. As Chihiro works in Yubaba’s bathhouse to free her parents, she meets Haku, a boy who can turn into a dragon.
Source: Ghibli Twitter
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