New Studio Ghibli Film, Earwig and the Witch, Announces Release Date

It has been quite some time since Studio Ghibli put out a new film, but that will change later this year. The company is slated to make a return before the new year as Earwig and the Witch has secured a premiere date. A new report from Japan confirms the 3DCG movie will be released next month, and fans are eager to learn when the feature will be distributed in their territory.

This new information came from Studio Ghibli itself as the company confirms Earwig and the Witch will debut on December 30. It will make its global debut on television, and director Goro Miyazaki is surely anxious to see how his new film will be met by fans.

The December 2020 date was announced alongside a slew of casting reveals for the film. Earwig and the Witch has assembled an impressive team to voice its leads. You can check out the full list of confirmed casting below (via ANN):

• Shinobu Terajima (Caterpillar, Helter Skelter, Oh Lucy!) as Bella Yaga
  Etsushi Toyokawa (live-action 20th Century Boys, Her Granddaughter) as Mandrake
  Gaku Hamada (Miss Hokusai, One Piece Film Gold, live-action Space Brothers) as Thomas
  Child actress Kokoro Hirasawa (live-action BLEACH) as Earwig (Aya in the Japanese version)

Currently, there is no word on when Earwig and the Witch will make its way to the United States. HBO Max is currently streaming the majority of Studio Ghibli films for users stateside, but Disney has a tested history with the Japanese studio. Wild Bunch, a French distributor, has been tasked with handling international sales for this new movie. According to previous reports, GKIDS has already licensed Earwig and the Witch for the United States. So if fans are lucky, Earwig and the Witch will come to their market by summer of next year.

What do you make of Studio Ghibli's next movie? Will you be wanting to check out Earwig and the Witch...? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.