Ghibli’s The Borrower Arrietty

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Here’s a sneak peek (taped off a Japanese talk show) at Studio Ghibli’s next animated feature, The Borrower Arrietty. Based on Mary Norton’s 1952 book, The Borrowers, Hayao Miyazaki produced, leaving direction to his key animator Hiromasa Yonebayashi. Toho will release the film July 17th in Japan.

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  • http://tequilawhisperer.com Lippy

    Looks refreshingly “quiet” and worthwhile. The Japanese are holding the mantle of 2D these days.

    nice work.

  • JMatte

    So nice when she runs down that flower stalk.
    I’m getting some nice Totoro vibes during the run through the grass.
    Can’t wait to hear the feedback from Japan when it hits theaters over there. Looking forward to seeing it here.

  • http://hellohue.blogspot.com Hellohue

    Far from being 2D! This might have been hand drawn, but the depth captured of that garden is incredible! It’s crappy quality but the number of layers apparent in that tracking shot with Arrietty running must be a fair few. Further proof that a flat screen can show depth perfectly fine without pop-out or pop-in 3D.

    Here’s hoping Yonebayashi has proven himself to be a worthy director. This trailer shows he’s got something quite special out of the team he’s leading, the way backgrounds and animation have been blended is especially enchanting, it speaks of a love for nature no other studio in the world has.

    Only downside is I can only really hope to see this in English (or at all) by the end of the decade, judging by the delay we got with Ponyo (in the UK at least).

  • TStevens

    Pretty…

    If there is a studio with a proven house style it is Ghibli. I have always wondered if they ever considered trying something markedly different in look and tone. My Neighbors the Yamadas was probably the most different looking film Ghibli has made but everything else is very much in the vein of Kiki or Totorro. I use to jokingly make the argument that all of Miyazaki’s films had to have a young female hero, flying machines, a gay villain, and forest spirits.

    This one is feeling oddly familiar

  • Alissa

    Absolutely charming, looks nice and relaxing. Can’t wait for it to hit the states.

  • http://www.tubbirdbelty.com Barbara

    “all of Miyazaki’s films had to have a young female hero, flying machines, a gay villain, and forest spirits”

    that may be true, but I’m not tired of it yet

  • http://animcareerpro.com/blog Chris

    Will have to watch that twice – once for the visuals and again for the story.

  • http://www.jasondeeble.com Jason Deeble

    Myazaki/Ghibli news always makes my day! I wonder if this film grew out of the abandoned Boro the Catterpillar.

  • Eric Graf

    “I have always wondered if they ever considered trying something markedly different in look and tone.”

    You should see some of their shorts!

  • Inkan1969

    Miyazaki is not directing this movie? Does he plan on directing another feature?

  • Eric Graf

    Miyazaki has “retired” after every movie since Spirited Away. He also has a history of taking over movies when his director isn’t meeting his standards. So stay tuned.

    I was intending to have a link to a “markedly different” Ghibli short with that last post. Let’s try this again.
    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nxB-jkpT6Uw

  • Isaac

    Haven’t I seen this on TV 20 years ago? Why must these movies be so samey, down to the timing of the characters’ motions and the prolonged establishing shots?

  • Sherrie

    Looks promising! Some real lovely animation. I wonder when it will come stateside.

  • Steve

    totally off topic, but does anyone happen to know the name of the song? It’s like a japanese Loreena Mckennitt.

  • erlab

    Issac- that ‘sameness’ is mentioned here as a ‘house style’. There is a difference between using the same sensibilities and techniques to help you tell a story, and just doing the same thing over and over again.

  • http://leestilldraws.blogspot.com/ Lee

    I used to love watching the British TV series on a Sunday afternoon, so I’m really looking forward to this.

  • A.C.

    It’s absolutely gorgeous! I’m looking forward to seeing it.

    However, the boy’s character design reminds me quite of bit of Seiji from Whisper of the Heart (http://distractions.hollow-lies.org/whisper/gallery/woth05_ss.jpg). The only apparent difference is that Shou (the boy’s name according to wikipedia) has a more rounded face than Seiji. Maybe it was a choice so he’d look like your “average Japanese young male,” but couldn’t he at least have a different haircut than Seiji? The hair looks the same. Just a minor nitpick…

  • sean

    Cant believe Im going to say this, but didnt DIC already do this?

  • Andrew Kieswetter

    It looks great. But that’s what you would expect from Studio Ghbli;Greatness.

  • peter wassink

    As always…anxiously looking forward to the next Miyazaki project.
    I remember Miyazaki announced that princess Mononoke would be his last film. I’m glad he kept going.

    @Steve, the song is Arrietty’s Song by french singer/harpist Cecile Corbel.

  • Chris Sobieniak

    Funny someone remembered “The Littles”, though that cartoon (and the books it was from) were done long after “The Borrowers” first came out.

  • childisfatheroftheman

    I was really hoping Ghibli’s next film released would be one of Isao Takahata’s. Last time I checked, he was working on several films, including one called Taketori Monogatari, which is supposed to come out this year.

  • http://hellohue.blogspot.com Hellohue

    @childisfatheroftheman Takahata has a film out this year, kind of. It’s an edited feature-length version of his Anne of Green Gables tv series from the 70s. Apparently he edited himself. I’d expect a delay for “Taketori Monogatari”. He’s notorious for spending a long time on film projects and often overrunning allotted production periods. I can imagine it will be a film that he in no way rushes, seeing as it’s very likely to be his last.

  • Mesterius

    Wow!… Looks wonderful! I’m really excited about this one:)

  • http://www.spiteyourface.com Tony Mines

    THAT. is NOT Leighton Buzzard!

  • chipper

    Hey, Western World feature animation…you hear? 2D isn’t dead!

  • http://amber-gail.blogspot.com Amber

    Great integration with the layout!! I could watch that first shot of the girl climbing down the plant over and over and over again.

  • Spooky

    I didn’t realize how much I’d apparently loved these books as a kid until I found out about this. Despite the usual book-to-film adaptation issues, Studio Ghibli turns out good work, so I am looking forward to this with a level of joy and excitement that surprises even me.

    It’ll probably be a little strange at first for me to see the Borrowers rendered so… prettily (never quite imagined Arrietty as ethereally pretty, or Pod ruggedly handsome), but I’m sure I’ll suck it up and deal.