Hayao Miyazaki-run Studio Ghibli's legendary "Princess Mononoke" set the standard for Japanese animation in 1997. The once top-grossing Japanese film about war and the environment is set to reclaim box offices on January 5 and 9 for a special two-day screening in honor of its 20th anniversary.
According to High Snobiety, Fathom Events and exclusive American distributor for the film GKIDS will host the two days of screening. The first day would feature the original Japanese voices with subtitles while the January 9 event will have the dubbed version performed by Hollywood stars Billy Crudup, Clair Danes, Minni Driver, Gillian Anderson, Jada Pinkett Smith and Billy Bob Thornton.
The anime -- deemed as a historical fantasy -- stars traditional Japanese characters and their interaction with forest spirits, animal gods and a supernatural war. The memorable plot is further accented by Studio Ghibli's signature detailed and cinematic approach to animation.
"Princess Mononoke" has earned a Japan-only total an equivalent of $148m during its box office sales during the year. Hollywood's "Titanic" had defeated the film the same year after it was shown in Japanese theaters.
Today, anime film "Kimi no Nawa" or "Your Name" has surpassed the legendary film by being Japan's number one film earning over an equivalent of $174m during its 14 weeks stay in the charts after release. "Harry Potter" universe film "Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them" surpassed the film after theaters showcased it the previous month.
"Koe no Katachi" or "A Silent Voice" is slowly moving up the ranks joining "Your Name" after a successful September release. While its gains are nominal at an equivalent profit of $19,000, the amount is bigger than any successful anime film than the two mentioned earlier.
"Princess Mononoke" would return to the United States for only two days. Ticket reservations are available in Fathom Events' website. Watch the original 1997 trailer of the anime below.
