Who knows if Studio Ponoc will be able to fill the shoes of the currently-shuttered Studio Ghibli, but their first film sure looks like an effort to do just that. Mary and the Witch's Flower resembles classic Ghibli in just about every way, its magical landscape to its brave heroine, and a new trailer is here to get fans of Japanese animation excited again.
Directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, who was at the helm of Ghibli's The Secret World of Arrietty and When Marnie was There, the film is based on Mary Stewart's book, The Little Broomstick. While there have been some alterations, the basic story follows a young girl who discovers a magical broomstick that whisks her away on an amazing adventure.
Mary and the Witch's Flower has yet to gain a U.S. distributor but you can bet that will change soon, especially if it hits the upcoming festival circuit.
