The cast of Japanese voice actors of Studio Ghibli's “Earwig and the Witch”
The Japanese-language voice actors of Studio Ghibli's first 3D computer graphic animation film have been revealed, earwig and the witch (Earwig and the Witch the probable Italian title yet to be defined) (Āya to Majo), along with tons of new images.
The film, directed by Gorō Miyazaki (The stories of Terramare, The choline of poppies, Ronja the Robber's Daughter) and based on the book by the late British author Diana Wynne Jones (same as Howl's Moving Castle), will premiere on NHK in Japan on December 30th. The co-founder of the studio and the father of the director, the Oscar winner Hayao Miyazaki, took care of adaptation planning.
The voice cast will be led by Japan Academy Award-winning actors in their first animation roles - Shinobu terajima (Caterpillar, Akame 48 waterfalls) as the witch “Bella Yaga” and Etsushi Toyokawa (Halfway, love letter) as the witch's husband, “Mandrake”; Gaku hamada (Fish story, Golden Slumber) like the cat Thomas; and newcomer Hirohiro Hirasawa as the young heroine, "Aya" / "Earwig".
The film tells of the orphan girl named Earwig, who grows up unaware of her birth mother's magical powers. Her sad life in the orphanage takes a new turn when a strange family led by a selfish witch welcomes her.
The new images show a new graphic style undertaken by the Ghibli studio. The touch of the classic Ghibli style can still be found, both in the expressions of the characters, in the interior complexes, in the attention to environmental details - even in the attention to reflections and texture of realistic food.
As previously announced, GKIDS has acquired the distribution rights in North America. A US release is scheduled for early 2021. You can subscribe to receive news on the Earwig and the witch su www.earwigmovie.com.
