The official trailer and Japanese voice cast roster have been revealed The Imaginary, the second full feature film from eight-year-old Studio Ponoc. Like its first movie, Mary and the Witch’s Flower (2017), this fantasy adventure is inspired by a British children’s book — in this case, A. F. Harrold’s 2014 novel of the same name. The Imaginary is scheduled for release in Japan on December 15, followed by a global rollout in 2024.
Synopsis: His name is Rudger. A boy no one can see. An Imaginary, imagined by Amanda, who has lost love. But Imaginaries disappear when they are forgotten by humans. Lost without hope, Rudger arrives at The Town of Imaginaries, where Imaginaries once forgotten by humans live together…
In the announcement, the studio stated, “We are very happy to share this peek at our new animated feature film with you, a hint at the marvelous story told through Studio Ponoc’s splendidly beautiful hand-drawn animation and hand-painted backgrounds and some new innovative techniques that both honor our heritage and help us create even more exquisite storytelling.”
The Japanese voice cast includes Kokoro Terada as Rudger; Rio Suzuki as Amanda; Sakura Ando as Amanda’s mother, Lizzie; Riisa Naka as Emily, a girl Rudger meets in The Town of Imagineries; Takayuki Yamada as Zinzan, a mysterious cat; Atsuko Takahata as Amanda’s grandmother, Granny Downbeat; and Issey Ogata as Mr. Bunting, a mysterious man who follows Rudger. Additional cast to be announced.
The Imaginary is being directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, who joined Studio Ghibli as a key animator on Grave of the Fireflies (1988) and worked his way up to lead storyboard for Only Yesterday (1991), Pom Poko (1994) and the CG portions of Princess Mononoke (1997); leading key animator on Spirited Away (2001) and sequence director for My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999). After making his theatrical directorial debut with the Ghiblies: Episode 2 (2002), Momose was in charge of scene design for Isao Takahata’s final masterpiece, The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013).
At Studio Ponoc, Momose directed Life Ain’t Gonna Lose, one of the shorts in Modest Heroes – Ponoc Short Films Theatre, Volume 1 (2018). His latest work as director is Tomorrow’s Leaves (2021), an animated short film created in collaboration with the Olympic Foundation for Culture and Heritage.
Founded in 2015 by Studio Ghibli alum Yoshiaki Nishimura (lead producer on Howl’s Moving Castle, The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There), Studio Ponoc introduced itself to the global cinema scene with warmly received Mary and the Witch’s Flower, based on Mary Stewart’s book The Little Broom Stick and directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi (The Secret World of Arietty, When Marnie Was There). The film was nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for Best Animation Film and received two Annie Award nominations.
Mary and the Witch’s Flower was followed in 2018 by the three-part anthology Modest Heroes, which featured segments written and directed by Yonebayashi, Momose and longtime Ghibli character designer Akihiko Yamashita, who previously directed the Ghibli Museum Short A Sumo Wrestler’s Tale.
International fans can follow the Studio Ponoc Twitter feed and The Imaginary official website for updates.
[H/T Anime News Network]
