2008-10-News

Spring 2009 US Release for Ponyo (Maybe)

From a recent Viz catalog add-on:

For Selling:
Spring 2009 - Add-on VIZ Kids
Title:   Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea Film Picture Book
Reason:  From the animators of Howl's Moving Castle, Princess Mononoke and
         Academy Award winner Spirited Away, comes the new Studio Ghibli film
         Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea releasing in March 2008 for the United States market.
Author:  Hayao Miyazaki
ISBN:    9781421530659
Price:   $19.99 / $23.50 CAN
On-Sale: 03/03/08
Genre, BISAC, or Subject Category: 
         JUV000000 JUVENILE FICTION/General
         Reads L to R (Western Style), 8 .27 x 10.12, TP with dust jacket, 152 pages

The dates listed in the on-sale and reason section seem to be typos.

All Studio Ghibli films with a US theatrical release also saw their accompanying Picture, Art-of, and Film Comic books translated into English. Ponyo Film Comics volumes 1 and 2 (there are typically 4 volumes) are scheduled for release on April 7, 2009.

Thanks to Steve Schiavo for posting the news to the MML.

--LLin 23:15, 24 October 2008 (UTC)

Ponyo Helps Toho, Cagliostro BD Pre-Orders

Variety is reporting that Toho, distributor of Ponyo in Japan, is expecting better quarterly earnings thanks to the film's robust box office results.

The upcoming Blu-ray release of Castle of Cagliostro sits atop the Amazon.jp pre-order chart ahead of Indiana Jones 4 (source).

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news.

--LLin 16:10, 23 October 2008 (UTC)

Ninokuni Packaging Preview

Kotaku is featuring a photo of the rather expansive packaging for the Nintendo DS version of Ninokuni. Joystiq has a video clip containing cutscenes and gameplay at www.viddler.com.

Thanks to Simon Ho for the news.

--LLin 23:35, 14 October 2008 (UTC)

Landmark Theaters Midnight Showings

My Neighbor Totoro and Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind will be showing in LA and Denver at midnight. Stay up late and enjoy the movies on the big screen:

• LA - Nuart Theater
  • Friday, November 14 - My Neighbor Totoro
  • Friday, December 12 - Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

• Denver - Esquire Theater
  • Friday, November 21 - My Neighbor Totoro
  • Friday, December 19 - Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news.

--LLin 21:57, 10 October 2008 (UTC)

Studio Ghibli Museum Library Films Get English-Friendly DVD Releases

Studio Ghibli has a sideline distribution business focused Western animated films of interest to Miyazaki and Takahata. Michel Ocelot's Azur & Asmar: The Princes' Quest, which was released theatrically and on DVD/Blu-ray by Studio Ghibli in Japan, receives a DVD release in the US on November 11, 2008. Ocelot's Kirikou and the Sorceress and Princes and Princesses are currently available on DVD in the US and UK.

Moya lyubov (My Love) by Aleksandr Petrov is available on iTunes with English subtitles, search for "Oscar-Nominated Animated Shorts 2007".

Thanks to Jordan Scott for the news.

--LLin 19:24, 7 October 2008 (UTC)

Film Screening Around the World

• Princess Mononoke is the midnight showing October 3 and 4 (Fri/Sat) at the Egyptian Theater in Seattle.

• Howl's Moving Castle (Japanese audio with English subtitles) screens October 25-31 at the National Media Museum of Bradford in West Yorkshire.

• The Films from the South festival in Oslo is showing every Studio Ghibli film released in Norway, the most notable exception is Tales from Earthsea. A lecture and panel discussion of anime adaptations of manga follows one of the screenings of Nausicaa.

Thanks to Geir Friestad and Jordon Scott for the news.

--LLin 15:50, 3 October 2008 (UTC)

Paint with Miyazaki

The Studio Ghibli Museum shop "MAMMA AIUTO" has been selling a watercolor set (5,775 yen) which was chosen by Miyazaki since 2003. This LAWSON website shows the contents with Studio Ghibli art staffer Yoji Takeshige explaining its use.

Set Detail:

• Pencil (2B): MITSUBISHI Uni
• Pencil Sharpener: STAEDTLER
• Coloring Brush (medium): TOKYO NAMURA
• Palette (18 colors): SAKURA
• Sketchbook: FO-HOMO
• Booklet: Miyazaki explains how to use transparent watercolors with a manga-style manual
• Transparent Watercolor (24 colors set): HOLBEIN

Miyazaki's 24 colors are different from HOLBEIN's original set:

1. Crimson Lake
2. Opera
3. Vermilion
4. Yellow Ocher
5. Permanent Yellow Lemon
6. Permanent Yellow Deep
7. Permanent Yellow Orange
8. Permanent Green No.1
9. Permanent Green No.3
10. Cadmium Green Deep
11. Cobalt Green Yellow Shade
12. Cobalt Blue Hue
13. Cerulean Blue
14. Ultramarine Deep
15. Compose Blue
16. Prussian Blue
17. Bright Violet
18. Light Red
19. Burnt Umber
20. Burnt Sienna
21. Ivory Black
22. Yellow Gray
23. Violet Gray
24. Davis Gray

Thanks to T.Ishikawa for the news.

--LLin 16:47, 1 October 2008 (UTC)

Ponyo Festival Showings

• Sitges Festival (Stiges, Spain), October 2 through October 12
• Filmekimi (Istanbul, Turkey), October 10 through October 16
• Eurasia Film Festival (Antalya, Turkey), October 10 through October 19
• Rio Festival (Rio de Janeiro, Brazil), September 25 through October 9

--LLin 16:47, 1 October 2008 (UTC)

Italy and Finland News

• Distributor Lucky Red is scheduled to release Ponyo in Italian theaters next March followed by Totoro in May.
• Nausicaa was released in Finnish theaters on September 25. Official site

--LLin 16:47, 1 October 2008 (UTC)