When Diane Wynn Jones', acclaimed British novelist, wrote the children's novel Howl's Moving Castle; its hard to believe she could have expected her story to be an acclaimed film and benchmark for Japanese animation. After Hayao Miyazaki and his crew put their animated touch on the story, Howl's Moving Castle skyrocketed to the highest heights of animation; earning its place as one of the most influential animated films of the modern world.
However, the success of one book never gave Jones the inclination to stop writing. She began to write for decades after, putting out titles such as Castle in the Air and Power of Three. Her final story, before she passed away was a children's novel titled Earwig and the Witch. The novel tells the story of a young girl, named Earwig, who is adopted by a witch and is taken to a magical home. The book recieved a lot of positive reviews, even being released in Japan.
Recently, it was revelaed that director Goro Miyazaki (Earthsea) would be working on a new feature, with the planning of his father Hayao Miyazaki. The film has been announced to be Studio Ghibli's first 3DCG fetaure and is set to release in Japan on NHK General TV. While no official stills of the film have been revealed, the late 2020 release date would leave many to believe that fans will be seeing more footage soon.
Excited for the new feature? Happy to see the Miyazaki family working together to create more amazing work? Make sure to share your thoughts in the comments! Earwig and the Witch is set to premiere winter 2020!