Gkids, a popular American television and film producer, is adding two more animated favorites to its North American lineup with newly remastered 4K releases of ‘Whisper of the Heart’ and ‘The Secret World of Arrietty,’ set for April 21 and May 19. The screenings will play in U.S. and Canadian IMAX theaters in both the original Japanese language with subtitles and in English-dubbed versions. The move builds on the company’s ongoing effort to bring restored Studio Ghibli titles back to theaters in a premium format for a wider audience.
‘Kiki’s Delivery Service’ and ‘Princess Mononoke’ in 4K
According to Variety, Gkids is extending its collaboration to bring a slate of newly remastered titles to theaters across North America. The wider rollout took shape in December, and these two films follow ‘Kiki’s Delivery Service,’ which is set to start its 4K remaster run on March 13. The report also noted that the partnership has already delivered a strong result with ‘Princess Mononoke,’ which became the second-highest-grossing vault release in the large-screen format’s history.
‘Whisper of the Heart’ and ‘The Secret World of Arrietty’ in 4K
‘Whisper of the Heart’ first opened in 1995. Yoshifumi Kondo directed the film from a screenplay and storyboards by co-founder Hayao Miyazaki. The story is based on the manga by Aoi Hiiragi. It follows Shizuku, a young dreamer whose encounter with a mysterious cat leads her toward self-discovery. An aspiring boy named Seiji and an enchanted cat figurine called The Baron also shape her journey.‘The Secret World of Arrietty’ was released in 2010. Academy Award nominee Hiromasa Yonebayashi directed the film from a screenplay by Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa, who also worked on project planning. The story adapts Mary Norton’s children’s novel ‘The Borrowers.’ It follows Arrietty, one of a race of tiny people living beneath the floors of a human home. Her life changes after a boy named Shawn spots her, and the two form an unexpected bond. The English-dubbed cast includes Bridgit Mendler, David Henrie, Amy Poehler, Will Arnett, Moises Arias, and Carol Burnett.The 4K remastering process across the series is being overseen by Atsushi Okui. His work with the company dates back to ‘Porco Rosso’ in 1992. Most recently, he served as director of digital imaging on Miyazaki’s Academy Award-winning ‘The Boy and the Heron,’ which became the first title from the banner to receive this kind of release. Gkids has also handled North American distribution for the library across release formats and platforms, while running the annual Ghibli Fest monthly theatrical program since 2017.
