Studio Ghibli’s follow-up to 2008′s Ponyo is an adaptation of Mary Norton’s much-loved novel, The Borrowers. First-time director Hiromasa Yonebayashi has moved the setting from 1950′s England to modern-day Japan but the story remains the same. It concerns a family of tiny borrowers who secretly live amongst human beings and borrow their things in order to survive. The title character, Arrietty, is the 14-year-old daughter who breaks the rules by befriending a human boy.
The trailer efficiently introduces the story and reminds us that the studio has lost none of its flair for stunning animation. The beautiful music is the stand-out element and hopefully reflects the score.
Unusually, the English language versions will have different UK and US casts. The UK trailer below features Saoirse Ronan as Arrietty and Mark Strong as her father. Their US counterparts will be Amy Poehler and Will Arnett. A dubbed version is vital to bring young families to the cinema and I wonder if the specially selected UK cast will prove their worth at the Box Office.
Either way, it looks like another winner for Studio Ghibli and perhaps the animated film of the year. What do you think?
Arrietty is released in the UK on July 29, 2011.
Related posts:
