Two years after its release in Japan, Hayao Miyazaki's top-grossing
animated film "Princess Mononoke" will be released theatrically in the U.S.
on October 29, 1999. It is noteworthy that the film is being released by
Miramax Films, a Disney company. "Princess Mononoke" is one of the few
animated features which can compare with Disney's in terms of audience and
box office. The film earned its spot as the all-time highest grossing film
in Japan, bringing in sell-out crowds, long lines at theaters and over $150
million at the box office in Japan in 1997. It even topped the Japanese
box office totals for "E.T." and "Jurassic Park." Although the film is
known to contain graphic violence, neither the visuals nor the music were
edited by Miramax, per strict distribution agreement with the film's
producers, Studio Ghibli. However, new voice tracks were recorded for a
dubbed English version, featuring the voices of Minnie Driver, Claire Danes
and Billy Bob Thorson, among others. In addition, to celebrate the US
premiere of Studio Ghibli's film, Studio Ghibli retrospectives are being
held throughout the United States, most of them showing all of the studio's
films including "Porco Rosso" (1992), which became the Japanese animation
industry's biggest hit (remaining so until the release of "Princess
Mononoke") and topped the year's box office chart.
An exclusive interview with "Princess Mononoke"'s director, Hayao Miyazaki, will be published in the November '99 issue of Animation World Magazine.
To read more on the Asian animation industry, read the
August '98 issue of Animation World Magazine , when we took a look at Animation in Asia.
Asian animation will be featured again in the December '99 issue of
Animation World Magazine.
