What we know about the new Spirited Away adaptation coming to the stage
By Diana Nosa
At long last, Spirited Away fans can rise from their slumber as we finally have some new content coming our way very soon. A stage adaptation is currently in the works which means that we’ll finally be able to see our favorite faceless monster in real-time in real life.
Spirited Away‘s stage adaptation will be written and directed by John Caird, the genius behind the 1985 stage production of Les Miserables. Being that his theatrical productions are beautiful masterpieces with the most intricate of details, we can rest assured knowing that he’ll bring Chihiro Ogino to life in a way that we’ve never seen before.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the highly-acclaimed film’s original animation studio, Studio Ghilbi, will be working alongside Caird to ensure that the execution of the production is flawless so that both John Caird and long-time fans of the film will have an experience like no other.
“I feel so excited and privileged to be working on the first-ever stage adaptation of Sen to Chihiro [Spirited Away]”, the Tony Award-winning director expressed, “I have for many years now regarded Miyazaki Hayao as one of the pre-eminent geniuses of world cinema and the greatest ever proponent of the anime form.”
It would not be outrageous to believe that Miyazaki Hayao is extremely proud that his Academy Award-winning film is being handled gracefully by someone of such a high caliber. While he has yet to express how he feels about the upcoming theatrical production, it is safe to imagine that he feels immense gratitude.
Spirited Away adaptation cast
Japanese actress Kanna Hashimoto will play the lead role of Chihiro in the upcoming production, and her previous experiences certainly gave way to her securing this highly sought-after role.
Hashimoto previously starred as Kagura in the film adaptation of the popular anime series Gintama, and also went on to star in numerous other renowned film adaptations including but not limited to Kaguyama-sama: Love is War, The Disastrous Life of Saiki K., and Assassination Classroom.
In addition to Kanna Hashimoto playing the lead role, Your Name voice actress Mone Kamishiraishi will also play the role of the spunky peach-shirted young girl as the adaptation decided to proceed with double-casting the beloved character.
The full cast list for Spirited Away‘s stage adaptation has yet to be announced, but once we know the official cast including who will be the lucky person to play the role of Kaonashi, we will be sure to update you with all the latest.
Spirited Away adaptation release date
The stage production is slated to debut in February 2022 and will run all the way through most of next year. The production will first premiere in Tokyo, Japan at Toho’s Imperial Theatre before making its rounds through the booming cities of Osaka, Fukuoka, Sapporo, and Nagoya.
Eventually, John Caird has his sights set on touring through Europe as well as other prominent cities in Asia. With Caird’s many past successes, his goal to extend Chihiro’s journey through various European cities is certainly not a difficult goal to reach.
After all, the English director has already devoted over a thousand hours to perfecting this adaption, and with him “looking forward to spending many thousands more”, the chances of Spirited Away‘s stage adaptation being one of the greatest productions in the 21st century has risen exponentially.