Toho announces Studio Ghibli adaptation of “When Marnie Was There”

By kevin on December 12, 2013 at 8:33pm EST

On Thursday, Japanese film distributor Toho announced their 2014 release schedule at a press conference in Tokyo. Included among the announcements was a new Studio Ghibli animated movie adaptation of children’s author Joan G. Robinson’s When Marnie Was There (Omoide no Marnie).

The story revolves around a shy girl named Anna who is sent to live with an elderly couple in a seaside town. She spends most of her days alone, never opening her heart to anyone, but soon meets and becomes friends with a mysterious girl named Marnie. However, no one else in the village seems to know Marnie exists.

While the original novel is set in England, the animated version will be set in Japan.

The film is directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, whose debut film The Secret World of Arrietty was a massive hit for Toho in 2010, earning around 9.25 billion yen domestically.

Yonebayashi joined Studio Ghibli in 1996 and is known for being the original inspiration for the Spirited Away character Kaonashi (No-Face) as well as working as an animator on films such as Howl’s Moving Castle, Ponyo, From Up on Poppy Hill, and The Wind Rises.

“When Marnie Was There” will be released in Japan in summer 2014.

Source: Eiga.com