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The US version of Mononoke Hime


Miramax presents

[Princess Mononoke]



[ Release Date |
Cast / Credits |
Reviews / Interviews |
Checklist |
Subtitled Version |
Says Neil Gaiman ]




Release Date

Official: Oct 29th, 1999. Initial release in top 20 markets:

Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Cleveland, Dallas, Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis, New York, Philadelphia, Phoenix, Portland (Oregon), St. Louis, Sacramento, San Diego, San Francisco, Seattle, Washington DC

More info about the North American release
(maintained by Team Ghiblink at Nausicaa.net)

MPAA Rating: PG-13 for images of violence and gore.

After the US release, the English-language version will be also released in Japan.

Official Miramax Website - www.princess-mononoke.com

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Cast / Credits

Written and Directed by: Hayao Miyazaki
Produced by: Studio Ghibli
Adapted by: Neil Gaiman

Voices of:
San - Claire Danes (Romeo & Juliet)
Ashitaka - Billy Crudup (Sleepers)
Lady Eboshi - Minnie Driver (Good Will Hunting)
Moro - Gillian Anderson (X-Files)
Jiko Bou - Billy Bob Thornton
Toki - Jada Pinkett

Music: Joe Hisaishi
(vocals by Sasha Lazard)

Dub Cost: ~$3 million (unconfirmed)

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Reviews / Interviews

 

More Reviews at Nausicaa.net

More Articles at Nausicaa.net

Fan Reviews at Nausicaa.net

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US Release Checklist

Soundtrack

Princess Mononoke Soundtrack, Milan Records, release Oct 12 (Info)

Books

"The Princess Mononoke: The Art and Making of Japan's most popular film of all time", release Oct 1, (Hyperion Books, 1999) (Amazon.com entry)

"Hayao Miyazaki: Master of Japanese Animation," release end of Sep, (Stone Bridge Press) is the exclusive, fully illustrated, definitive book on the major works of Miyazaki. We should have it in-house September 13, and it will be available in bookstores by the end of September. To read more about "Hayao Miyazaki, Master of Japanese Animation" visit http://www.stonebridge.com/miyazaki/miyazaki.html

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Subtitled Version

Probably video release only.


According to Hollywood Reporter (9/30/97), Michael Johnson, the president of Buena Vista Home Entertainment, said that it will be released in both dubbed and subtitled versions, predicting that older audiences will prefer to see the latter.


(September '98, Jeremy Blackman's questions answered courtesy of Martin Blythe of Buena Vista.)

Q: Will there be subtitles of the other films [other than Kiki's Delivery Service] ?

A: Most likely. Everything depends on how we do with the sub-titled KIKI.

Q: For the subtitles, will they be based off existing sub scripts, a direct translation, or use the dub scripts?

A: Direct translation then approved/changed by Tokuma/Ghibli.

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Comments by Neil Gaiman (newest first)

About Neil Gaiman

Gaiman is the creator/writer of the monthly DC Comics cult series "Sandman" which has won numerous honors including the Will Eisner Comic Industry Award for the Best Writer four years in a row; the Best Graphic Album - reprint award in 1991, and the best graphic album - New Award in 1993. In addition, at the annual Harvey Awards, Gaiman was named Best Writer two years in a row, and "Sandman" was named Best Continuing Series in 1992. "Sandman" #19 also took the 1991 World Fantasy Award for the best short story - the first comic book ever to be honored with a literary award. The Sandman collections have sold over 750,000 copies in paperback and hardcover, and Warner Bros. has optioned rights for a "Sandman" feature film.


The Critical Eye's Neil Gaiman Interview (Nov 1999)


TNT's Rough Cut chat with Neil Gaiman (Oct 18 1999)


Michael S. Johnson's report of Neil Gaiman's 1/20/99 visit to Seattle


(November '98, Scifi.com chat transcript)

The script was finished in June or July (1998), and they have already recorded half of it...
I'm really happy with it. It is an astonishing film. I've seen tapes with some of the voice parts
on -- Claire Danes, Billy Crudup, Minnie Driver and Gillian Anderson so far
and it's really tight. Sometimes I miss lines I wrote that didn't work because they didn't quite
match the mouth movements, but that's
one of the things you just have to put up with when you're doing a foreign script. It will be
released commercially into cinemas in '99 -- exactly WHEN in '99 is up to Miramax.


(May '98, Miramax web site News)

"I couldn't be more excited to write this script"

"My goal is to remain faithful to the story while providing a translation that a non-Japanese audience will be able to follow. To that end, I've been researching Japanese folklore."


(April '98)

I'm not actually translating it. There is already a literal translation of the 'Great Beast, who comes from a place no-one knows, still your wrath and do not stay here" kind. What I'm doing is turning it into lines that people can say.

As for why:

A) Harvey Weinstein asked me, and he asked very nicely.
B) It's fun. Everything else I'm working on at present has to come out of my head. This already exists, so I get to use a different set of writing muscles.
C) It's a challenge. I've never done anything like this before, and probably never will again.
D) If Leonardo DiCaprio plays Ashitaka, I get an autograph for my 12 year old daughter.
E) I like the film.


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This information has been obtained mainly via the Miyazaki Mailing List, with at least the following contributors:
Ryoko TOYAMA, Shun CHAN, Andrew Osmond, Yasuhide MOHRI, Jeremy Blackman, Isaac Alexander



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