Princess Mononoke’s Dub Was Nearly Done by Quentin Tarantino

Studio Ghibli is rightly known as one of anime’s production hubs. With director Hayao Miyazaki on its side, the anime studio has cranked out dozens of praised films, but some stand out before others. As of late, fans have flocked to Princess Mononoke in particular, but the film could have gone very differently for some fans.

After all, Quentin Tarantino was originally asked to assist the film’s dub, and Neil Gaiman is opening up about the offer.

Recently, the famed writer took to Twitter to answer a fan’s comment about Princess Mononoke. Despite being public information, many are surprised to hear Gaiman did the English script adaptation for Princess Mononoke‘s dub, and he described the gig as his “biggest secret” to fans.

Shortly thereafter, one fan asked Gaiman is a rumor was true. They were curious whether Miramax and Studio Ghibli first asked Tarantino to do the adaptation, and Gaiman confirmed it was true with an easy yes.

Of course, Tarantino did pass on the job. The director felt Gaiman was perfectly suited for the job, so he suggested the writer tackle Princess Mononoke instead. Fans were surprised to learn Tarantino was considered for the job, but he had some impressive work his belt at that point. When the film was licensed in the U.S., Tarantino had put out Reservoir Dogs as well as Pulp Fiction and Jackie Brown under Miramax. It was surely a no-brainer for the studio to approach Tarantino given their work relationship, but it was Gaiman who ultimately got a chance to bring Princess Mononoke to life abroad.

So, how do you think a Tarantino dub of Princess Mononoke would have gone? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!

Want to know more about this Studio Ghibli classic? You can read the official synopsis for Princess Mononoke here: “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.”