News

Ghibli's When Marnie Was There Previewed in Video Before U.S. Opening on Friday

The Slash Film entertainment blog began streaming an exclusive clip from the upcoming English-language theatrical release of Studio Ghibli's When Marnie Was There film.

The clip previews a scene from the film's English dub where Anna (Hailee Steinfeld) arrives at her new summer home and meets Setsu (Grey Griffin) and Kiyomasa Oiwa (John C. Reilly).

Distributor GKids also released an updated list on Tuesday of theaters for the film's North American release.

GKids added a new showing in Connecticut as well as additional showings California, Ohio, and Washington. The film is scheduled to open on Friday.

Prior to its opening date, When Marnie Was There screened at the Bentonville Film Festival in Arizona on May 5 and at the Seattle International Film Festival in Washington on May 16 and 20. The film is opening in theaters in New York and Los Angeles before expanding to other cities. When Marnie Was There first premiered in North America at The New York International Children's Film Festival (NYICFF) in February.

The following theaters will open the film on May 22:

• New York, NY - IFC Center
• Los Angeles, CA - Landmark Nuart

The following theaters will show the film on May 29:

• Chicago, IL - Landmark Century Centre
• Toronto, ON - TIFF Bell Lightbox
• Vancouver, BC - Vancity Theatre
• Pasadena, CA - Laemmle Playhouse
• Encino, CA - Laemmle Town Center
• Claremont, CA - Laemmle Claremont
• North Hollywood, CA - Laemmle NoHo
• Irvine, CA - University Town Center

The following theaters will show the film on June 5:

• San Francisco, CA - Landmark Embarcadero
• Berkeley, CA - Landmark Shattuck Cinemas
• Menlo Park, CA - Landmark Guild Theatre
• San Jose, CA - Camera 3 Cinemas
• San Diego, CA - Reading Gaslamp Stadium
• La Jolla, CA - Landmark La Jolla Village Cinemas
• Philadelphia, PA - Landmark Ritz at the Bourse
• Boston, MA - Landmark Kendall Square
• Minneapolis, MN - Landmark Lagoon Cinema
• Grand Rapids, MI - Celebration Cinemas Woodland
• Denver, CO - Landmark Chez Artiste
• Cleveland, OH - Cedar Lee Theatre
• Akron, OH - Nightlight Cinema
• Portland, OR - Regal Fox Tower
• Austin, TX - Regal Arbor at Great Hills
• Dallas, TX - Angelika Film Center
• Plano, TX - Angelika Film Center
• Houston, TX - Landmark River Oaks Theatre
• Phoenix, AZ - Harkins Valley Art
• Santa Cruz, CA - The Nick
• Montréal, QC - Cinéma du Parc
• Montréal, QC - Cinéma Beaubien (in French)
• Québec City, QC - Cinéma Le Clap (in French)
• Sherbrooke, QC - Maison du Cinema (in French)
• Santa Barbara, CA - Plaza de Oro (6/10)

The following theaters will show the film on June 12:

• Washington, DC - Landmark E Street Cinema
• Salt Lake City, UT - Broadway Centre Cinemas
• Providence, RI - Cable Car Cinema
• Columbus, OH - Gateway Film Center
• Cincinnati, OH - Mariemont Theatre
• Pittsburgh, PA - Regent Square Theatre
• Nashville, TN - The Belcourt
• Knoxville, TN - Regal Downtown West
• Charlotte, NC - Regal Park Terrace
• Asheville, NC - The Carolina Asheville
• Raleigh, NC - The Raleigh Grande
• Greensboro, NC - Geeksboro Coffeehouse Cinema
• Santa Rosa, CA - Summerfield Cinemas
• Tucson, AZ - The Loft Cinema
• Santa Fe, NM - Regal DeVargas
• Duluth, MN - Zinema 2
• Amherst, MA - Amherst Cinema
• Vancouver, WA - Kiggins Theater
• Victoria, BC - The Vic Theatre
• Detroit, MI - Michigan Theater (6/14)

The following theaters will show the film on June 19:

• St Louis, MO - Landmark Plaza Frontenac
• Indianapolis, IN - Landmark Keystone Art
• Hartford, CT - Real Art Ways (6/19-21, 6/26-28, 7/2-4)
• Lambertville, NJ - ACME Screening Room (6/21 & 6/28)

The following theaters will show the film on June 26:

• Atlanta, GA - Landmark Midtown Art

The following theaters will show the film on July 3:

• Seattle, WA - SIFF Cinema Egyptian
• Gainesville, FL - The Hippodrome

GKids describes the film's story:

Sent from her foster home in the city one summer to a sleepy town by the sea in Hokkaido, Anna dreams her days away among the marshes. She believes she's outside the invisible magic circle to which most people belong – and shuts herself off from everyone around her, wearing her “ordinary face.” Anna never expected to meet a friend like Marnie, who does not judge Anna for being just what she is. But no sooner has Anna learned the loveliness of friendship than she begins to wonder about her newfound friend...

The English dub cast is as follows:

• Anna Sasaki – Hailee Steinfeld
• Marnie – Kiernan Shipka
• Setsu Oiwa – Grey Griffin
• Kiyomasa Oiwa – John C. Reilly
• Hisako – Vanessa Williams
• Yoriko – Geena Davis
• Sayaka – Ava Acres
• Nobuko – Raini Rodriguez
• Mrs. Kadoya – Kathy Bates
• Nan – Ellen Burstyn
• Older Woman – Catherine O'Hara

When Marnie Was There adapts Joan G. Robinson's classic English children's novel of the same name. In his second film, director Hiromasa Yonebayashi (2010's The Secret World of Arrietty) has shifted the setting from the novel's Great Britain to a Japanese village on the shores of Hokkaido. Yonebayashi wrote the screenplay with Keiko Niwa (The Secret World of Arrietty) and Masashi Ando (A Letter to Momo, Spirited Away, Paprika). Ando also handled the character designs and animation direction. Takatsugu Muramatsu composed the film's soundtrack.

Thanks to Daniel Zelter for the news tip.