We won’t be seeing the last of Studio Ghibli after all.
Though Studio Ghibli general manager Toshio Suzuki announced that their animation feature film department has closed, the studio’s anime legacy lives on. “Sinbad: The Magic Lamp and the Moving Island” will be the closest thing we’re getting to a Ghibli-connected animated feature film next year.
“Sinbad: The Magic Lamp and the Moving Island” is an upcoming animated feature film helmed by animation director and character designer Yoshiharu Sato.
According to RocketNews24, the movie is produced by Nippon Animation, a Japanese animation studio which is best known for its popular anime adaptations based on works of international children’s literature such as “Anne of Green Gables” and “The Adventures of Tom Sawyer”. It is the 2nd of 3 planned anime starring the titular character.
If the artistic style of the film feels familiar to you, it’s because Sato is a Ghibli veteran who also designed the characters for one of Ghibli’s most beloved films, “My Neighbour Totoro”.
The movie will follow the story of Sinbad, the legendary sailor who arrives on a mysterious island with his travelling companion Sana searching for a magical lamp. However, both are captured by a group of men who believe Sana is the key to controlling an ancient, mystical power that they seek to use for their own gain.
“Sinbad: The Magic Lamp and the Moving Island” is not a Ghibli-produced anime, but it certainly contains elements that Ghibli fans would be excited to see from the film.
Check out the trailer for “Sinbad: The Magic Lamp and the Moving Island” below:
“Sinbad: The Magic Lamp and the Moving Island” is due to be released on 16th January 2016. The first film, “Sinbad: Sora Tobu Hime to Himitsu no Shima”, was screened in July earlier this year, while the 3rd movie is slated for release in March 2016.
Meanwhile, Ghibli announced that they’re currently working on “The Red Turtle”, an upcoming animated feature film that will be helmed by Dutch director Michaël Dudok de Wit and French screenwriter Pascale Ferran. The film is expected to be Ghibli’s first venture after the retirement of Ghibli co-founder Hayao Miyazaki.
Best known for his work on “Grave Of The Fireflies” and “The Tale Of The Princess Kaguya”, Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata will return as the film’s artistic director. Distributor Wild Bunch will co-produce it. The story will be “imbued with a deep respect for nature” as it follows “a man marooned on a desert island whose attempts to escape on a raft are thwarted by a giant turtle that sinks the makeshift craft”.
“The Red Turtle” is slated for release in Japanese theatres in September 2016.
Sources: RocketNews24, Design Taxi.
