Netflix to Kickstart New Studio Ponoc Deal With The Imaginary

Studio Ponoc’s newest film, The Imaginary, is coming to Netflix as the first in a new multi-film deal for Netflix and Studio Ponoc! The Imaginary has been gearing up for its release around the world ever since it hit theaters in Japan last December, and now the film has gotten an international distributor. Netflix has been increasing the speed and quantity of their anime releases in the last few years specifically, and now it seems like these releases will now included exclusive new hits from Studio Ponoc, one of the more notable studios currently working in the film animation industry today. 

The Imaginary first hit theaters across Japan last December (under the title of Yaneura no Rudger) following a delay from its originally intended 2022 release (which had been delayed due to various COVID-19 production complications), but now Netflix has announced that the film will be releasing worldwide on its service later this year. This is the first release in a new multi-film partnership that will see Studio Ponoc’s films exclusively stream with Netflix. You can check out the newest teaser poster for The Imaginary‘s international release below. 

What Is The Imaginary? 

Directed by Yoshiyuki Momose with Yoshiaki Nishimura as producer, The Imaginary has yet to set a concrete streaming release date with Netflix as of the time of this writing. Adapting A.F. Harrold and Emily Gravett’s The Imaginary novel, Studio Ponoc teases the film as such, “The Imaginary portrays the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger. Their fantastical adventures launched from her attic, lead them to discover a magical world of creatures and places never before seen until a sinister force threatens to destroy their imaginary world and the friendship within it.”

The Imaginary‘s main voice cast includes the likes of Kokoro Terada as Rudger, Rio Suzuki as Amanda, Sakura Ando as Lizzie, Riisa Naka as Emily, Takayuki Yamada as Jinzan, Atsuko Takahata as Downbeat Grandma, Issey Ogata as Mr. Bunting, and more. An English dub release has yet to be detailed as of the time of this writing. 

Are you excited to see Studio Ponoc’s next film release with Netflix later this year? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on X (formerly known as Twitter)!