Fandom: Studio Ghibli's next project

[nebroadwe]

Studio Ghibli is planning to film The Borrowers by Mary Norton and release it next summer. I first got wind of this yesterday, here and here. They won't be doing it as period piece; evidently the setting will be early-oughties Tokyo, right around the corner from some Ghibli offices. Hmm, opportunities for meta? The director, Yonebashi Hiromasa, is the youngest man ever to helm a Ghibli feature, so perhaps he's down with self-referentiality and other such hip concepts? :-) It's also his first time in the Big Chair, having worked as assistant animation director on Gedo Senki after serving his time in the animation ranks at various levels (including as a key animator on Serial Experiments: Lain). I had no problems with the animation of Gedo Senki -- it was the story I felt was lacking -- so this is potentially hopeful news.

Check out the pretty picture here.