Studio Ghibli is a true powerhouse when it comes to animation, and it will celebrate some of its top projects in an upcoming theme park. The ambitious project aims to bring films like My Neighbor Totoro and Spirited Away to life in a new way for fans to enjoy.A new report is giving fans a better idea of when this park will be open, and it turns out things are back on schedule even in light of the pandemic.
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The report comes from Sora News 24 as it translated new comments from Hideaki Omura, the governor of the Japanese prefecture set to house the theme park. “We are still on track and are planning to open the park in Fall 2022,” Omura said.
For those of you who aren’t in the loop, Studio Ghibli announced plans to build a theme park years ago. The sprawling park has been in development for three years since, and it began building the basics earlier this year. That work was halted months ago due to the ongoing pandemic, but as work has gotten back to normal overseas, Studio Ghibli’s theme park is right on schedule for a 2022 debut.
Currently, there are three areas of the park being built out of the total five. The first to get underway was the Hill of Youth which is loosely inspired by Whisper of the Heart. The second area being completed it the Giant Warehouse that includes a theater and eateries based on Spirited Away. The third zone belongs to My Neighbor Totoro as the Dondoko Forest will feature a scale replica of Mei’s home from the movie.
It seems like work on the park will take years to complete, but Studio Ghibli knows the outcome will be worth the wait. Kiyofumi Nakajima, a chairman at the studio, plans to stress that later this month at the park’s official groundbreaking ceremony. It is there the executive will put the park on the path towards an opening, so fans can start saving up for their trip there ASAP.
How pumped are you for this whimsical Studio Ghibli theme park? Do you want to check it out once it opens? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!
