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Toronto Int'l Film Fest Screens N. American Premiere of Mamoru Hosoda's Scarlet Anime Film
posted on by Alex Mateo
TIFF will take place on September 4-14. The event will release the full schedule on August 12.
The film will open in Japan on November 21, and in U.S. theaters on December 12.
The film centers on a strong princess named Scarlet who crosses space-time to enact revenge. Her father, the king, was murdered, and after her attempt at vengeance failed, she wakes up in "The Land of the Dead" which is brimming with madness. If one does not exact revenge on one's nemesis and end up here in this "place for the unfulfilled," they become "nothing" and disappear. The story follows Scarlet's boundless journey of vengeance.
Mana Ashida stars as the princess Scarlet and Masaki Okada as Hijiri, a nurse from modern Japan.
The cast also includes:
- Yutaka Matsushige as Cornelius, an influential aide of Claudius
- Kōtarō Yoshida as Voltemand, an aide of Claudius who leads the knights
- Kōji Yakusho as Claudius, whose conspiracy led Scarlet onto her quest for vengeance
- Masachika Ichimura as Amulet, Scarlet's father
- Yuki Saitō as Gertrude, Scarlet's mother who assists Claudius in his conspiracy
- Shōta Sometani as Guildenstern
- Munetaka Aoki as Rosencrantz, a vassal of Claudius who targets Scarlet
- Kazuhiro Yamaji as Polonius, an aide of Claudius who watches over Scarlet's movements
- Tokio Emoto as Laertes
- Kayoko Shiraishi as a mysterious old woman
- Noa Shiroyama as a girl which Scarlet encounters in "The Land of the Dead"
Many of these characters share the same names as characters in William Shakespeare's tragedy play Hamlet.
Hosoda is directing the film and writing the screenplay, and is also credited for the original work. Hosoda stated the film is not 2D animation or "Hollywood-style CG," and he is aiming for a completely new look. Hosoda also stated the film will have a different feel to his past works, and will also have action and romance elements. He added that the film is based on a "global classic."
The film's producer Yūichirō Saitō stated the film will have worldwide distribution. TOHO is releasing the film in Japan, while Sony Pictures is releasing the film outside Japan. Sony Pictures has also invested in the film.
Comic Natalie noted that since The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, Hosoda's films have previously opened in Japan in summer, but this new film will open in winter.
