The anime film The Imaginary from Studio Ponoc will be released in winter 2023

TOHO on Tuesday announced that Studio Ponoc's anime film adaptation of the novel The Imaginary by AF Harrold and Emily Gravett will be released in the winter of 2023. the production methods of the film and the COVID-19 pandemic.

The film title in Japan is Yaneura no Rudger (Rudger in the Attic).

Yoshiyuki Momose (short film “Life Ain't Gonna Lose” in Ponoc's Modest Heroes anime anthology, film Ni no Kuni, Ponoc's Olympic Games short film “Tomorrow's Leaves”) is directing the film. Yoshiaki Nishimura, producer of several Studio Ghibli films, as well as the Ponoc films Mary and The Witch's Flower and Modest Heroes, is producing the film.

Bloomsbury Publishing published AF Harrold's original novel The Imaginary in 2001 with illustrations by Emily Gravett. The publisher describes the novel:

Rudger is Amanda Shuffleup's imaginary friend. No one else can see Rudger, until the evil Mr. Bunting arrives at Amanda's door. Mr. Bunting goes on a hunt for imaginaries. It is said that he even eats them. And now he's found Rudger.
Soon Rudger is alone and running for his imaginary life. He needs to find Amanda before Mr. Bunting gets him…and before Amanda forgets him and he vanishes into thin air. But how can an unreal guy be alone in the real world?