Here’s your first look at Studio Ghibli and first time director Hiromasa Yonebayashi’s film “Karigurashi no Arrietty (The Borrower Arrietty) which is based off Mary Norton’s popular The Borrowers series.
Arrietty will be a reinterpretation of the original novels which follows Arrietty, a 14-year old Borrower set in modern day Japan underneath the floorboards of an old house. They borrow what they need to survive and remain constantly vigilant against being seen by their human counterparts. Arrietty is a project roughly 40 years in the making and according to Yonebayashi, its theme coincides with the recent economic downturn. “The age of mass consumption is ending and, at such a time, the idea of borrowing instead of buying becomes more prevalent,” says Yonebayashi.
“Karigurashi no Arrietty” premieres on July 17, 2010 in Japan. And an American release will most likely follow and distributed by Disney similar to previous Studio Ghibli films in the US.