GKIDS announced on Wednesday that it had acquired the distribution rights to the filmed performances of the Spirited Away stage play, with plans to release them later this year.
The performances — which were filmed during the production of the stage play in 2022 — come from the Spirited Away: Live on Stage performance at the historic Imperial Theatre in Tokyo, Japan. The production was written and directed by Tony and Olivier Award-winning director and the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Honorary Associate Director John Caird.
According to GKIDS’ announcement, they plan to release the stage production theatrically in spring 2023, but no further information has been confirmed as of yet.
“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,” said GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt. “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.”
Spirited Away: Live on Stage ran at TOHO’s Imperial Theater from February to March 2022, and then began touring across the country. Stops included plays in Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Nagoya.
“Chihiro’s family is moving to a new house, but when they stop on the way to explore an abandoned village, her parents undergo a mysterious transformation and Chihiro is whisked into a world of fantastic spirits ruled over by the sorceress Yubaba,” reads the official synopsis of the iconic film. “Put to work in a magical bathhouse for spirits and demons, Chihiro must use all her wits to survive in this strange new place, find a way to free her parents and return to the normal world. Overflowing with imaginative creatures and thrilling storytelling, Spirited Away became a worldwide smash hit, and is one of the most critically-acclaimed films of all time.”
