Studio Ghibli: Jim Henson's Creature Shop to Create My Neighbor Totoro Puppets for Royal Shakespeare Company

By Megan Peters

Studio Ghibli has some truly iconic films under its thumb, but few can compare to My Neighbor Totoro. The movie, which Hayao Miyazaki released decades ago, has withstood the test of time to charm fans even today. Soon, the film will take on its wildest project yet as the Royal Shakespeare Company is producing a stage play based on My Neighbor Totoro. And to our absolute delight, reports have confirmed the production's puppets will be created by the team at Jim Henson's Creature Shop.

As reports shared just recently, My Neighbor Totoro is said to be one of the RSC's most ambitious projects to date given its scale. Teams are working on the stage play in Japan, the United States, and Great Britain. Of course, this includes the Jim Henson crew as the Creature Shop is located in Los Angeles. Basil Twist is overseeing the puppet's designs alongside Mervyn Millar.

"We know all too well the importance of maintaining the visual style and personality of beloved characters," Peter Brooke, the creative supervisor of Jim Henson's Creature Shop, shared in a new note (via Deadline).

"Whether an audience member is a longtime fan of this iconic story, or new to Miyazaki's fantastical world, they will be simply amazed when they see these magical creatures live on stage in a whole new way in My Neighbor Totoro."

READ MORE: Studio Ghibli and Royal Shakespeare Company to Produce My Neighbor Totoro Play

Currently, tickets for My Neighbor Totoro are on sale as its run will go from October 8th through January 2023. The RSC says sales for the show have been excellent, and there is already chatter about the production moving to the West End, England's own version of Broadway. At this time, there is no word on whether the stage play will be brought stateside, but fans are hopeful this production is able to travel globally once its RSC run has finished.

Are you excited to see the Creature Shop's take on Studio Ghibli? Would you like to check out this stage play once it debuts? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.

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