What a time to be a Studio Ghibli fan! In recent months we’ve celebrated the legendary Japanese animation outfit’s The Boy And The Heron scooping top honours at the BAFTAs, Oscars, and Golden Globes, seen the RSC and Jim Henson Company bring My Neighbour Totoro beautifully to life at the Barbican Centre, and watched Spirited Away get the West End treatment too. Now, the Elysian Film Group and Anonymous Content have announced that they’re collaborating to bring Totoro back to the big screen this summer with a re-release of Miyazaki’s seminal 1988 family favourite in cinemas across the UK and Ireland. Check out the beautiful new quad poster for the film below;
Widely regarded as one of the best anime movies ever made, Hayao Miyazaki’s breezy, 1950s Japan-set slice-of-life fantasy follows sisters Satsuki and Mei’s adventures as they move to the country and encounter soot sprites, flying feline buses, and all sorts of gentle wood spirits — including the gigantic titular furry fella. For anyone who may somehow not have seen My Neighbour Totoro (scandalous, we know!), all you really need to know is that it’s pure cinematic sunshine for all ages to enjoy. And what’s more, if you’re only just beginning to dip your toes in the world of anime, with this new re-release you’ll be able to catch the film either in Japanese with subtitles or dubbed in English, depending on your preference. Winner!
“We are incredibly excited to be bringing My Neighbour Totoro back to cinemas by giving it the standalone reissue that it truly deserves,” said Nick McKay, Head Of Distribution at Elysian, in a statement accompanying the re-release’s announcement. “Getting to see Satsuki, Mei and Totoro’s adventures on the big screen will be a truly special experience for audiences, and we are positively thrilled that this summer release will give cinemagoers this wonderful opportunity to revisit another classic from Hayao Miyazaki after our Christmas release of The Boy And The Heron. We cannot wait for audiences to bask in the beauty of another quintessential Studio Ghibli film.”
My Neighbour Totoro is set to return to cinemas in the UK and Ireland on 2 August. All together now: “Then you’ll be with To-to-ro, Totoro! To-to-ro, Totoro!”