Gorgeous Trailer Showcases New Film From The Heir To Miyazaki's Animation Legacy

Hayao Miyazaki, aka “The Walt Disney of Japan,” may have retired, but Studio Ghibli, his animation studio, is still alive and kicking. Though it will take massive directorial feet to fill the shoes of the man behind Spirited Away and Princess Mononoke, the trailer for Ghibli's newest venture leaves us feeling supremely confident that Miyazaki's legacy will remain in supreme shape.

When Marnie Was There, the second film from Hiromasa Yonebayashi, was released in Japan last weekend and its trailer is now viewable online (embedded above). Based on a British children's novel, the movie focuses on a strange friendship between the titular Marnie and a girl named Annie. The Japanese trailer doesn't clarify if there will be fantastical, talking animals and environmental undercurrents, but we can confirm that the animation itself looks stunning.

Almost half of Miyazaki’s age, Yonebayashi could be the ideal candidate to keep trucking where Miyazaki left off. A few years back he directed his first feature (also for Ghibli), The Secret World of Arrietty, which currently holds a 94% Certified Fresh Rotten Tomatoes rating, and grossed $145 million dollars to become the 4th highest grossing anime film of all time. Plus, he worked on Princess Mononoke when he was 25 years old. Not too shabby.

If you're stateside like us, you'll need a top-notch torrent (and translator) to see the movie in full any time soon. In the meantime, check out the trailer, and count the days until Ghibli can once again blow our minds in through some animated glory.

h/t The Verge

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