The first images from Studio Ghibli’s debut CG-animated feature, Aya and the Witch, directed by Gorō Miyazaki, have been released. Take a look!
Adapted from the novel by Earwig and the Witch by British author Diana Wynne Jones (1934-2011), who also penned the source for Hayao Miyazaki’s Oscar-nominated Howl’s Moving Castle, the tale of a bright orphan who pits her wits against life in a mysterious new home and magic-wielding foster parents, is due to premiere on Japanese TV station NHK this winter.
As previously announced, studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki (Oscar winner for Spirited Away) oversaw the planning for the adaptation helmed by his son, whose previous directing credits include Ghibli features From Up on Poppy Hill and fantasy adaptation Tales from Earthsea and the cel-shaded CG series Ronja, the Robber’s Daughter. The elder Miyazaki got acquainted with CG techniques making the short Boro the Caterpillar for the Ghibli Museum.
Unlike Boro and Ronja, the early images for Aya reveal a full 3D CG production with fleshed-out characters inspired by traditional Japanese anime aesthetics. But, details of the character designs, costumes and meticulously staged backgrounds still hold the atmospheric charm fans have come to expect from Ghibli films.
Sources: Ghibli, NHK, Comic Natalie