Beloved Studio Ghibli classic Spirited Away is being turned into a stage play that will premiere in 2022.
As reported by Indie Wire, the 2001 Oscar-winning film by Hayao Miyazaki will be adapted for the stage by director John Caird. Caird has vast experience in theatre production, having worked on the likes of Les Misérables, Hamlet and Macbeth.
The Spirited Away stage play is set to make its debut in Tokyo in February next year, before it hits other Japenese cities including Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo and Nagoya. So far, two actors have been cast in the main role of Chihiro, Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi.
In a statement, Caird said he is “so excited and privileged” to be working on the production.
“I have for many years now regarded Hayao Miyazaki as one of the preeminent geniuses of world cinema and the greatest ever proponent of the anime form,” he said.
“I share a belief in all the most dominant themes of Miyazaki’s work, themes that are at the core of the Spirited Away world — care for the environment, reverence for nature, a belief in the force of the good spirits within us, and the empowerment of young women and men to change the world for the better.”
Meanwhile, Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki added that both he and Miyazaki have faith in Caird’s ability to lead the adaption.
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“We, Hayao and I, both liked John’s vision. He is a person we can trust. I am looking forward to seeing Chihiro grow on stage under his direction. I could tell how much he adores this story from his delighted face when I gave him a No-Face (Kaonashi) piggy-bank,” he said.
While there has not yet been any word as to whether we can expect the play to come to Australia, we know we’ll be crossing our fingers for an announcement.
Check out the trailer for Spirited Away:
