Studio Ghibli breakaways Studio Ponoc release English trailer for first film

Date
7 December 2017
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Mary and the Witch’s Flower

Attention Ghibli fans: Studio Ponoc, the new animation house from the Japanese animation studio’s former producer and director, Yoshiaki Nishimura and Hiromasa Yonebayashi, has released the English language trailer for its first film.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower is based on children’s book The Little Broomstick, written by Mary Stewart and published in 1971. The trailer features a young girl Mary making an ill-advised trip into the woods and picking a flower with special powers, which leads Mary on a journey to a witches school – by broomstick, naturally. Once at the school, Mary uncovers some unexpected and unsavoury goings-on led by the teachers.

Yoshiaki Nishimura and Hiromasa Yonebayashi were nominated for the Best Animated Feature Oscar in 2016 for Ghibli’s When Marnie Was There. Yoshiaki was also nominated for the 2014 Oscars for Ghibli’s The Tale of Princess Kaguya; while Hiromasa directed The Secret World of Arrietty.

Mary and the Witch’s Flower English language version features Kate Winslet as a teacher, Ruby Barnhill of BFG fame as Mary, and Jim Broadbent apparently as an evil scientist. The film was released in Japan on 8 July 2017, and will be out in cinemas in the UK in 2018.

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Mary and the Witch’s Flower

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Bryony Stone

Bryony joined It's Nice That as Deputy Editor in August 2016, following roles at Mother, Secret Cinema, LAW, Rollacoaster and Wonderland. She later became Acting Editor at It's Nice That, before leaving in late 2018.

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