The Japanese animation film also boasts an impressive lineup of international talents.
Distributor GKIDS has gained North American distribution rights to director Mamoru Hosoda’s upcoming film Belle. As part of the deal, the film will be screened theatrically during this winter in both its original Japanese language and an English language dub. Because of this, Belle could be eligible for the 2021 awards season, potentially following the footsteps of Hosoda’s 2018 Oscar-nominated film Mirai.
“I’ve been in love with Mamoru Hosoda since Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Summer Wars, and every film since. Hosoda is a master at exploring humans’ relationship with technology in a changing world,” says GKIDS founder Eric Beckman in a statement, “Belle expands on the threads and themes of his previous works in an epic tour-de-force that is visually stunning, emotionally stirring, and deeply profound. We are thrilled to continue our relationship with Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu, and look forward to sharing what will surely be their most popular success to date.”
What could garner this success is the international talent contributing to Belle. Frequent Disney collaborator Jim Kim worked to create the titular Belle, while Wolfwalkers directors Tomm Moore and Ross Stewart contributed artwork for the more action-oriented scenes. Rounding out the exciting crew is architect Eric Wong, who designed the film’s city of “U,” and composer Ludvig Forssell, making his film debut after last scoring Hideo Kojima’s Death Stranding.
Belle will be released in Japan on July 16th, with a North American release date and dub cast still unknown. Watch the trailer and read the film’s official synopsis below:
“Suzu is a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural village with her father. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. One day, she enters “U,” a virtual world of 5 billion members on the Internet. There, she is not Suzu anymore but Belle, a world-famous singer. She soon meets with a mysterious creature. Together, they embark on a journey of adventures, challenges, and love, in their quest to become who they truly are.”
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