The recent Japanese release of Mary and the Witch’s Flower may not be lighting up the box office there but it’s still getting pickups around the world. The first film from Studio Ponoc has now gotten some new distribution with Madman Entertainment having announced their plans for the Australian roll out. The film will be a part of the Madman Anime Festival Melbourne on November 5th, 2017 and will then get a larger release plan in January 2018.
The film is directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi who also wrote the screenplay with Riko Sakaguchi at Studio Ponoc.
Altitude Film Entertainment has acquired the UK rights to bring out Mary and the Witch’s Flower while GKIDS will be handling the North American release for the work.
The Japanese cast includes:
- Hana Sugisaki as Mary
- Yuuki Amami as Madam Manbulduke
- Fumiyo Kohinata as Doctor Day
- Hikari Mitsushima as Akage no Majo
- Jirou Satou as Furanaga
- Eri Watanabe as Bankusu
- Shinobu Ootake as Charlotte
- Ryunosuke Kamiki as Peter
Plot concept: It is Tib the black cat who leads Mary to the strange flower in the woods. When she discovers a little broomstick shortly afterward, she is astonished to feel it jump into action. Before she can gather her wits, it is whisking her over the treetops, above the clouds, and into the grounds of Endor College, where: “All Examinations Coached for by A Competent Staff of Fully-Qualified Witches.” Here she discovers evidence of a terrible experiment in transformation—deformed and mutant animals imprisoned in cages. In the moment after her broomstick takes off, she realizes that Tib has been captured. Returning to the College the following day, she manages to free the animals, but not before the Head of the college, Miss Mumblechook, and her colleague, Doctor Dee, have seen her. Mary manages to flee …but the evil pair are in hot pursuit!
