We are very excited about Mary And The Witch’s Flower. It’s the first film from Studio Ponoc, which is the new company founded by Hiromasa Yonebayashi and Yoshiaki Nishimura, both veterans of Studio Ghibli. Yonebayashi (Arietty, the absolutely beautiful When Marnie Was There) directs this take on Mary Stewart’s The Little Broomstick, and the first two minutes are available to watch now.
The film’s splendid voice cast features Ruby Barnhill (The BFG) in the lead role, and she’s backed up by Kate Winslet, Jim Broadbent, Ewen Bremner and Louis Serkis.
“Mary And The Witch’s Flower combines an exhilarating tale with the unique richness, art and animation of Studio Ghibli-style storytelling, revealing the exciting and surprising adventure of Mary, an ordinary twelve-year-old girl. Bored and lonely during a summer holiday, Mary follows an odd cat into the nearby woods where she stumbles upon a flower and then a little broomstick. Together the flower and broomstick whisk her above the clouds, far away to Endor College – a school of magic!
At Endor, Mary tells a lie that leads to peril, and then a promise, while discovering that all is not as it seems at the school – there are experiments that horrify! Soon she confronts great danger, and a test of her resolve.
Mary And The Witch’s Flower is a sublime blend of magic and fantasy that will sweep audiences along with its charming, heartfelt adventure. Along with the beautiful and distinctive animation style that we have come to instantly recognise and love, this film sparks the sense of wonder, and will delight the world’s children and adults alike.”
Mary And The Witch’s Flower is released on 18 May in the UK. Keep up with the latest genre news with the new issue of SciFiNow.