I had never heard of the Studio Ghibli film The Secret World Of Arrietty (AKA Kari-gurashi no Arietti) until this morning when I got the trailer, poster, and a few stills from it sent to me from North American distributor Walt Disney Studios. Now that I’m in the know, this looks like another fine film from the studio that brought us Ponyo, Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and more recently From Up on Poppy Hill, to name just a few. The animation is gorgeous and the English voice work, which includes Will Arnett, Amy Poehler, and Carol Burnett, actually seem to fit. Check out all the assets below and let us know your thoughts in the comments.
About The Secret World Of Arrietty:
Residing quietly beneath the floorboards are little people who live undetected in a secret world to be discovered, where the smallest may stand tallest of all. From the legendary Studio Ghibli (Spirited Away, Ponyo) comes The Secret World of Arrietty, an animated adventure based on Mary Norton’s acclaimed children’s book series “The Borrowers.”
Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (voices of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (voice of Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty (AIR-ee-ett-ee) remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn (voice of David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger. The English language version of The Secret World of Arrietty was executive produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, and directed by Gary Rydstrom.
The Secret World Of Arrietty hits theatres February 17, 2012.
All images courtesy Walt Disney Studios.
