Studio Ponoc’s The Imaginary Releases New Trailer

Studio Ponoc and Netflix have kicked off a special team up to stream the anime studio’s new movies around the world, and now fans have gotten a new look at what to expect from the first of these new efforts, The Imaginary, with a new trailer! Studio Ponoc and Netflix have entered a multi-film, multi-year deal in which the streaming service will be the exclusive home for Studio Ponoc’s films outside of Japan, and The Imaginary will be coming to Netflix later this Summer. Premiering in theaters across Japan earlier this year, the Netflix release is coming equipped with a new English dub! 

Netflix has released a new trailer for The Imaginary featuring the English dub voice cast for the film. It includes the likes of Louie Rudge-Buchanan as Rudger, Evie Kiszel as Amanda, Hayley Atwell (who will also start in the upcoming Tomb Raider: The Legend of Lara Croft) as Lizzie, Sky Katz as Emily, Jeremy Swift as Mr Bunting, Kal Penn as Zinzan, LeVar Burton as The Old Dog, Jane Singer as Granny Downbeat, Ruby Barnhill as Aurora, Roger Craig Smith as Snowflake, Courtenay Taylor as Cruncher-of-Bones, and Miles Nibbe as John. Check out the trailer for The Imaginary below: 

What Is The Imaginary? 

Adapting A.F. Harrold and Emily Gravett’s The Imaginary novel, The Imaginary will be streaming with Netflix beginning on July 5th. The film will be directed by Yoshiyuki Momose (who previously directed Studio Ponoc’s first film, Mary and the Witch’s Flower) with Yoshiaki Nishimura as producer. The main theme song for the upcoming film is titled “Nothing’s Impossible” as performed by A Great Big World featuring Rachel Platten. The Japanese voice cast includes 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.

As for what to expect from the new film’s story, Netflix teases Studio Ponoc’s The Imaginary as such, “Studio Ponoc’s The Imaginary portrays the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger, a boy no one can see imagined by Amanda to share her thrilling make-believe adventures. But when Rudger, suddenly alone, arrives at The Town of Imaginaries, where forgotten Imaginaries live and find work, he faces a mysterious threat. Directed by renowned animator Yoshiyuki Momose (Spirited Away), The Imaginary is an unforgettable adventure of love, loss, and the healing power of imagination.”