According to Entertainment Weekly’s website, Walt Disney Pictures will unleash the latest magically whimsical Hayao Miyazaki movie, “Ponyo,” on August 14th.
Expect lots of weird, surreal stuff that is kind of creepy and kind of cute, and the voice cast of Cate Blanchett, Matt Damon, Tina Fey, Cloris Leachman, Liam Neeson, Lily Tomlin, Betty White, Frankie Jonas (apparently he’s a Jonas Brother or something), and Noah Cyrus (Miley’s younger sister or something) filling in for the original Japanese language track.
The movie, about a goldfish that wants to be human (that old story), was adapted by Melissa Mathison (“E.T.”). Recent ‘Benjamin Button’ Oscar nominees Frank Marshall and Kathleen Kennedy are producing this version.
The other man responsible for the import is “Cars” director and Pixar bigwig John Lasseter, who coaxed Disney to obtain the rights to Miyazaki’s films way before he was essentially running the entire creative side of the company.
The competition it’s facing on August 14th is some sci-fi movie called “District 9,” directed by the guy that was supposed to direct the Peter Jackson-produced “Halo” movie. It’ll also go up against Ang Lee’s “Taking Woodstock,” “Bandslam” (a High School Musical knock-off by the fine folks at Summit), “The Goods: The Don Ready Story” (no idea), “Post Grad” (no idea), and the often-delayed “Time Traveler’s Wife.”
EW also notes that the film was very successful, making $175 million in Japan, which is presumably a shitload of yen. – Drew Taylor