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Globalization had a massive influence on one of the most important and famous media of entertainment, anime. Hayao Miyazaki has worked on some of the most loved movies created by Studio Ghibli. FromHowl’s Moving CastletoSpirited Away,storytelling and art meet each other in the most natural way possible when Miyazaki takes over.
Hayao Miyazaki’s approach to storytelling is unique and it manages to grip the audience in the most wonderful way. Whether his projects are being released in Japan or the United States of America, they are always well received. This also explains whySpirited Awaywon the 2003 Acadamy Award for Best Animated Feature. Studio Ghibli has collaborated with Disney on several occasions and for the much-loved movie, it was not much different either.
Also Read:Not Akira, Leonardo DiCaprio’s Favorite Anime is From Studio Ghibli Which Resonates With His Own Personal Mission
Disney Did Not Trust Hayao Miyazaki’s Work
Before Disney worked with Studio Ghibli andHayao MiyazakiinSpirited Away,they collaborated onPrincess Mononoke.The film was much different from what the multibillion-dollar company had expected, taking aback when they were asked to distribute a movie with such dark themes. It was not new for Disney to make deals with other studios and distribute movies, Studio Ghibli also fell in the same category. However,Spirited Awaywas doomed for failure had the studios kept getting their way.
Due to the poor performance thatPrincess Mononokehad in the United States of America, Disney was not eager to release the movie that seemed to break one record after another in Japan. Had it not been for Pixar, the mass media company would have never given the movie a proper release at all. According to Miyazaki, John Lasseter, the founder of Pixar made sure Disney went through with what they had initially committed to. The movie was already getting massive praise from all corners of the world and critics had their eye on the masterpiece as well. Lasseter took things into his own hands and called upon voice actors who often worked for Pixar.
He made sure the movie was dubbed in English so that it could have a smoother release in the United States and Disney’s attempts to sabotage its success were thrashed. The movie ended up making $395 Million worldwide, something the company had surely not expected.
Also Read:Hayao Miyazaki’s Final Movie The Boy and the Heron Breaks Rare Record Set by Another Studio GhibliFilm
Disney Was Wrong About Spirited Away
Harvey Weinstein and Hayao Miyazaki had a lot of back and forth when it came to the release ofPrincess Mononoke.The movie needed no cuts and that did not sit well with the disgraced director. Miyazaki got his way in the end, rather victorious about how things went between the two. So he was adamant when it came to the release of his masterpiece,Spirited Away.The record that the movie managed to make was no ordinary one either. Its success was only surpassed almost two decades later byDemon Slayer – Kimestu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train,which ended up making $507 Million worldwide.
“One of the greatest animated films ever made, might be better than any Disney film I’ve ever seen.”
Steven Spielberg himself chose to praise the movie because of how outstanding it was. It is safe to say that Disney sure regretted its decision to hold a movie back that would go on to win some of the biggest and most prestigious awards.Princess Mononokemay have been somewhat of a disappointment for Disney butSpirited Awaywas the exact opposite of that.
Also Read:“I defeated him”: Unlike Parasite Director Bong Joon-ho, Hayao Miyazaki Straight Up Threatened Harvey Weinstein to Preserve His Original Studio Ghibli Movie
Source:Collider
Adya Godboley
Anime Content Manager
Articles Published :1879
Adya Godboley is the Anime Content Lead at FandomWire with over 1800 published articles. She is a Rotten Tomatoes-certified critic with a background in literature. From The Case Study of Vanitas to Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint, her anime knowledge is one she’s gathered with years of experience. She also enjoys Marvel, DC and Superhero media with her works having been recognized by prominent figures such as Dwayne Johnson, Abby Trott and the Blood of Zeus creators.
