The World Of Mamoru Hosoda Coming To UK Cinemas This Summer
In the Japanese animation industry there are very few figures who can even come close to the reputation and name recognition of Hayao Miyazaki. Of those that do, perhaps the most successful is Mamoru Hosoda. His films have all been nominated for Animation of The Year at the Japan Academy Prizes, with five of them going on to win. His 2018 film Mirai was nominated for an Oscar, a Golden Globe and won Best Feature Film (Independent) at the Annies. Both Mirai and Belle premiered at the Cannes festival.
Anime Limited have announced that three of Hosoda's most beloved features will be coming back to cinemas in the UK and Ireland. The season will feature his earliest releases, which will be screening in 4K remasters for the very first time.
The season kicks off with The Girls Who Leapt Through Time, screening on July 6 and 8. Summer Wars screens on August 3 and 5. And then finally, Wolf Children will be screening on August 17 and 19.
"A champion of both film as a medium and bringing people to cinemas, Hosoda’s work often explores fantastical themes whilst being heavily influenced by his own personal life experiences," Anime Limited says. "This combination of imaginative and gripping storytelling with exceptionally emotive and in-depth characters has generated a dedicated fanbase of Mamoru Hosoda’s work."
Following these theatrical screenings, Anime Limited will release all three films as Collector's Edition Blu-Ray and 4K UHD Blu-Ray, allowing fans to enjoy the films time and again in the best possible quality. All three films will also be released digitally at a later date. More information about the home releases will be announced later in the summer.
For screening details and tickets see the official website.
Meanwhile in the US, GKIDS Films are also screening the films. Wolf Children has already screened but Summer Wars is screening on July 27, 28 and 29 and The Girl Who Leapt Through Time will be rereleased on September 28, 29 and 30. Wolf Children will be released on 4K UHD on August 5. The other films will follow in due time.
