Neil Gaiman isn’t just a legend in the world of comic books, many of his novels and short stories have managed to make the jump into becoming award winning, critically acclaimed hits with such examples as Coraline, American Gods, and the recently released Good Omens on Amazon Prime’s streaming service. What you may not know is that Gaiman himself was responsible in part for writing the English script of one of Studio Ghibli’s most legendary outputs, Princess Mononoke. Now, Gaiman himself has revealed his part in the film and just why he wasn’t associated with it for so long.
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Neil Gaiman revealed the bombshell on his Official Twitter Account that his name was left off the poster and credits due to his contract with Miramax/Studio Ghibli expiring:
My biggest secret. (Studio Ghibli asked for some of the Miramax execs to be removed from the poster and credits. The execs looked at all the names, determined that theirs would remain, and realised that mine was contractually expendable.) https://t.co/fm7BRFpp1W
— Neil Gaiman (@neilhimself) August 12, 2019
Gaiman’s career is just as legendary as Studio Ghibli’s, if not more so, supplying a steady stream of epic tales and yarns throughout all mediums. Becoming famous through comic book works such as DC’s Sandman and Swamp Thing, Gaiman was originally inspired to jump into comics thanks to the works of fellow British writer Alan Moore. It was from here that Neil began expanding outside of the world of comic books with a series of novels such as Good Omens, Neverwhere, Stardust, and American Gods.
While numerous properties, as listed earlier, from Gaiman’s mind have been turned into movies or television shows, the link between Neil and Studio Ghibli had never been explored so thoroughly as it has now. Princess Mononoke was distributed by Miramax when it had first hit US theaters late in the year 1999. The movie became one of Studio Ghibli’s biggest hits, and it’s unfortunate that Gaiman didn’t get the credit he rightly deserves with the creation of the English script for the film.
What do you think of the news about Neil Gaiman‘s involvement with Studio Ghibli and Princess Mononoke? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, Neil Gaiman, or Studio Ghibli!
The official description for Princess Mononoke reads as such:
“From the legendary Studio Ghibli, creators of Spirited Away, and Academy Award-winning director Hayao Miyazaki, comes an epic masterpiece that has dazzled audiences worldwide with its breathtaking imagination, exhilarating battles, and deep humanity. Inflicted with a deadly curse, the young warrior Ashitaka heads west in search of a cure. There, he stumbles into a bitter conflict between Lady Eboshi, the proud people of Iron Town, and the enigmatic Princess Mononoke, a young girl raised by wolves, who will stop at nothing to prevent the humans from destroying her home and the forest spirits and animal gods who live there.”
