Studio Ghibli Announces "The Borrowers Arrietty"
The studio that brought us such classics as My Neighbor Totoro, Grave of the Fireflies and Spirited Away has announced its next motion picture.
An adaptation of Mary Norton's book The Borrowers was announced last Thursday with the launch of the official site. The original 1952 novel told the tale of the tiny Clock family, who live in a stranger's house and borrow household items to make a place for themselves. However their plan is discovered by a young boy, who then decides to help the Clock family with their scenario.
Studio Ghibli has announced that Hiromasa Yonebayashi -- the key animator for Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle and the TV series Monster and Serial Experiments Lain -- will direct the film, making him the youngest person ever to helm a Ghibli project. Hayao Miyazaki will serve as a planner for Karigurashi no Arrietty (The Borrowers Arrietty).
This is not the first time The Borrowers has been adapted into a theatrical motion picture. In 1997 a live-action adaptation starring John Goodman, Hugh Laurie and Jim Broadbent was released to critical (but not box-office) acclaim.
