GKIDS, an American distributor that has handled the North American release of Studio Ghibli films in the past, has announced that they will be bringing The Tale of The Princess Kaguya to North American shores in 2014. A Facebook page has been opened for the upcoming release and promises more news and updates to come. It’s unclear as of now if the film will see a theatrical release like Ghibli’s From Up on Poppy Hill, which was also distributed by GKIDS.
The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (also known as Kaguya-hime no Monogatari) is a retelling of the famous Japanese folktale The Tale of the Bamboo Cutter. Given the subject matter, the film’s visuals give an appropriate nod to the traditional Japanese style of woodblock printing. Click here to see a selection of visuals from the movie.
Given GKIDS’ track record with North American anime releases, it wouldn’t be surprising to see Princess Kaguya hit theaters in a limited release. They’re no stranger to Studio Ghibli’s work, or anime in general for that matter. GKIDS is hosting the New York International Children’s Film Festival this year, and among the many films from around the world being featured are Japanese films Giovanni’s Island from Production IG and Patema Inverted from Time of Eve director Yasuhiro Yoshiura. It’s the North American premiere for both films. A Letter to Momo from Production IG is also being dubbed by GKIDS and should be out within the year.
