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Studio Ghibli has continued to bring the world one masterpiece after the next by Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and now they’ve begun production on a new foreign animation. On Dec. 10, major film company Toho released their lineup of works to be distributed in 2016, and a standout among them is director Michael Dudok de Wit’s The Red Turtle slated to be released in September 2016.
The film will be the newest work by French director Michael Dudok de Wit, who is highly praised around the world for his short anime “Father and Daughter.” It’s unusual that a movie with such strong European aesthetics would be distributed by Toho.
The truth is the movie has a deep connection to Japan. According to the credits, the film is being co-produced by France’s Wild Bunch and Japan’s Studio Ghibli, with Ghibli taking on the main production costs. Studio Ghibli has continued to introduce through distribution and sales excellent foreign anime to Japan and the world. The Red Turtle will be no different, though it is unusual that they are so deeply involved with production itself.
The film was already introduced earlier this year in June at the world’s largest animation film festival, the Annecy International Animated Film Festival in France. It was a special feature in the “Work in Progress” category that introduces talked-about works still in production. In the program the staff, beginning with director Michael Dudok de Wit, explain the film’s concept and artwork. Much is also referenced within to Studio Ghibli producers Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki which includes, among other things, the fact that Takahata is even taking a large cooperative role on the film, for which he is credited as artistic producer. This too gives a peek at how Ghibli is connected with the film.
Though a new feature-length anime hasn’t been seen since 2014’s When Marnie Was There, Studio Ghibli is still continuing to produce new films. Together with a short CG anime by director Hayao Miyazaki that’s currently in production, don’t take your eyes off of The Red Turtle in 2016.
The Red Turtle
Releases in September 2016
Original Work/Script/Director: Michael Dudok de Wit
Script: Pascale Ferran
Artistic Producer: Isao Takahata
Production: Studio Ghibli, Wild Bunch
Distribution: Toho
Source: animeanime
