The stage play adaptation of Studio Ghibli’s beloved Spirited Away film is set to arrive in U.S. theaters.

New York-based film producer and distributor GKIDS announced it had acquired the North American audiovisual distribution rights for SPIRITED AWAY: Live On Stage, the live-action stage adaptation of acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki’s animated feature of the same name. Screenings will reportedly showcase a full performance recorded from the play’s 2022 run at the Imperial Theater in Tokyo, Japan. Actors Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi both take on the role of the protagonist Chihiro Ogino. Honorary associate director of England’s Royal Shakespeare Company John Caird additionally led the production for the adaptation.

Actors Kotaro Daigo and Hiroki Miura also joins Hashimoto and Kamishiraishi as the fan-favorite deuteragonist, Haku. Voice actor Mari Natsuki — who provided the voice for the witch Yubaba and her older twin Zeniba in the original animated film — reprises her role for the stage play adaptation, alongside veteran voice actor Romi Park. “It felt very emotional,” Natsuki recounted. “I never thought that I would be playing the same role on stage two decades later. Just like Kanna, I would like to play like a debutante and enjoy this stage version as a completely new one.”

Regarding the stage play, GKIDS president David Jesteadt said, “We are thrilled to offer this unique opportunity for Studio Ghibli fans in America to experience the stage production that wowed Japanese press and audiences last year. This imaginative stage adaptation by the legendary John Caird, featuring two wonderful performances by lead actors Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi, helps bring to life one of the greatest films of all time in a dazzling new way.”

Hayao Miyazaki’s Spirited Away

Spirited Away follows the story of Chihiro, a young girl who suddenly finds herself trapped and alone in a mysterious realm inhabited by dangerous magical creatures. Chihiro is eventually employed by the old witch Yubaba, who takes away the young girl’s name and binds her with a magical contract in exchange for refuge. Faced with losing her identity and staying in the spirit world forever, Chihiro must gather her courage and find her way back to the human world.

SPIRITED AWAY: Live On Stage is scheduled to arrive in U.S. theaters sometime in spring 2023.

Source: GKIDS