“Yaneura no Rudger” The Imaginary: Studio Ponoc Announces New Film

August 21 2023

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Studio Ponoc has given fans a taste of what's to come, rolling out a trailer for its upcoming animated film, an adaptation of the novel "The Imaginary" by AF Harrold and Emily Gravett. The film will star Kokoro Terada as Rudger and Rio Suzuki as Amanda, accompanied by an all-star cast that includes Sakura Ando, Riisa Naka and Takayuki Yamada.

The film, titled “Yaneura no Rudger” (translated as “Rudger in the Attic”), is scheduled for release in Japan on December 15th. The production was originally scheduled for the summer of 2022, but was postponed due to some difficulties related to production methodologies and the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the helm of the project we find Yoshiyuki Momose, known for his work on “Life Ain't Gonna Lose” and other projects of Studio Ponoc. The film is produced by Yoshiaki Nishimura, who has a long-standing relationship with Studio Ghibli and other Studio Ponoc films.

The original novel, published by Bloomsbury Publishing in 2001, tells the story of Rudger, Amanda Shuffleup's imaginary friend. Rudger remains invisible to the world until the arrival of the fearsome Mr. Bunting, a hunter of imaginary beings, taking the plot in an unexpected and poignant direction.

While we await further details on the film and the promised English voice cast from Studio Ponoc, “Yaneura no Rudger” is shaping up to be one of the most anticipated releases of the year in the Japanese animation scene.