The theatrical adaptation of a Studio Ghibli masterpiece, "Spirited Away: Live on Stage," will be available for streaming on HBO Max this coming Dec. 24.
The performance was recorded in Japan and was previously available for viewing in cinemas across the United States as part of a program from GKids, a New York-based distributor of award-winning Studio Ghibli films.
Adaptation of Hayao Miyazaki's 'Spirited Away'
Helmed by Tony-winner John Caird, known for directing "Les Misérables," the stage production was adapted from the beloved 2001 Hayao Miyazaki film, which also won an Oscar Award for Best Animated Feature.
Also co-adapted by Maoko Imai, the stage play premiered at Tokyo's Imperial Theatre in 2022 before streaming on Hulu Japan later that same year. The production also featured the original film soundtrack by Joe Hisashi.
Performed in Japanese and captioned in English, "Spirited Away: Live on Stage" included two alternating casts of 32 performers headlined by the leads Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi who both played the main character "Chihiro," performing alongside 50 masterfully crafted puppets designed by Toby Olié.
Due to this double-casted system, two different broadcasts of the production were filmed and GKids will reportedly release both versions for streaming.
The story follows Chihiro, a 10-year-old girl who just moved into a new home alongside her parents, both of whom turned mysteriously into pigs after all three of them get lost in an odd fantastical world, becoming entangled in a series of adventurous hijinx.
"Spirited Away: Live on Stage" was produced in association with Studi Ghibli, and was presented by Toho Co., Ltd. and GKids, concluding its Tokyo run on April 29, 2022, before going on a critically acclaimed tour across Japan. The production will purportedly hold performances in London next year, beginning on April 30.
