Princess Mononoke (movie)

"Ashitaka Sekki (アシタカせっき; The Legend of Ashitaka)" by Joe Hisaishi

Official French Princess Mononoke Website (French)

UFA Anime's Official Prinzessin Mononoke Sales Site (German)

At just under US$20 Million production costs, Princess Mononoke was the most expensive Anime ever created when it was released.

Princess Mononoke was also the most successful Japanese, and in fact International (non-US) film ever created. Princess Mononoke earned over US$150 Million at the Japanese box office. Mononoke was however beaten at the Japanese Box office shortly after by the US produced Titanic, but it kept its title as the most successful Japanese film ever produced until Miyazaki's Sen To Chihiro surpassed it earning in excess of $200 million dollars in Japan alone (also surpassing Titanic for the Japanese box office crown).

Mononoke was included when Disney and Tokuma signed an agreement in 1996 giving Disney exclusive worldwide rights to a number of Ghibli films. Part of the deal in fact stipulated that Disney must release Mononoke theatrically in the United States. Disney agreed to this without ever seing Mononoke.

When Disney finally saw Mononoke for the first time it was nothing like what they expected (they expected a cute, childrens Anime similar to Miyazaki's other films), but they were contractually obligated to release it.

The North American theatrical run of Princess Mononoke was deemed an abismal failure in the end, the most succesful international film ever created (at the time) earned a paltry $2.4 million dollars in the United States and Canada.