deerstalker
https://blacknerdproblems.com/spirited-away-live-on-stage-coming-spring-2023/
Oh, my friends, amazing news! I have been musing on anime adaptations and my newer interest/reading obsession in stage play/live stage adaptions for a while now. I would LOVE to see more live stage productions of all the anime we love. Growing up and loving anime, I was a little saddened that outside the shores of Japan I didn’t have access to the stage plays and the drama CDs that Japanese fans had. I understand why–drama CDs would have to be translated for new audiences, some cultural jokes and nuance would be lost, that would be more work for English voice casts for example, and so on and so on. And stage plays have been broadcasted in limited capabilities before, and I’m happy that I’m not the only one hyped for the news of more and more exposure to stage plays outside of Japan. And the first one we’re getting is Spirited Away.
There have been decades of Sailor Moon stage plays that have reached almost cult status after all these years with rotating actress and actors with more lore and fans that I can even start to comprehend. I’ve always lovingly desired to one day see in person. The Demon Slayer productions have been wildly popular in Japan, thriving with audiences during the pandemic. Possible hot take here: I think we deserve to see anime adapted for the stage! I don’t believe that the plays are a lost art or are underappreciated. Yet, there’s a sort of magic that comes to watching a story unfold on a stage, with performers making it an experience.
Also consider that you’re watching a show! A performance! And this is a labor of love that employs so many professionals: folks in charge of music and lyrics and all the musicians that play live or were recorded. Think of the choreography and fight scene choreographers–every team behind lighting, filming, and acoustics! Vocal coaches, stage directors and the fine folks responsible for all the promo artwork and photography…so imagine my great surprise in hearing the news that one of Studio Ghibli’s beloved films and one of my personal favorites has received its first stage adaptation, filmed and coming to audiences this Spring!
GKIDS tells us “Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award®-winning animated feature film comes to life in this first-ever stage adaptation, full of dazzling sets, captivating musical numbers, and wondrous puppets of beloved characters. Adapted and directed by Tony Award®-winner John Caird (Les Misérables), two unique casts and performances were filmed during the show’s acclaimed 2022 run at Tokyo’s historic Imperial Theatre, featuring Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi as Chihiro.”
“We are thrilled to offer this unique opportunity for Studio Ghibli fans in America to experience the stage production that wowed Japanese press and audiences last year…This imaginative stage adaptation by the legendary John Caird, featuring two wonderful performances by lead actors Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi, helps bring to life one of the greatest films of all time in a dazzling new way.” – GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt.
I am so hyped as Spirited Away is certainly a fave from Studio Ghibli as it remains a film that speaks to the child in me and tells her to be brave and have heart. No matter how old I get, I know that I can watch Chihiro on a grand adventure of wanting to save others but also herself and be swept away for two hours and love it every time. Every year we’re blessed with Ghibli Fest, and this is the one film I know I will always, always see, even if it is the only film I can make time to go watch. Hayao Miyazaki may have set out to make a film for children, for 10-year-olds and worked with others to make a masterpiece touching upon the innocence of childhood that reached audiences everyone of all ages. Through the child protagonist Chirhiro, she learns that growing up comes with transitions, struggles, loss, and surprise: MORE adults that won’t listen to you! Yet–she perseveres and teaches lessons all while moving forward with a mighty heart.
GKIDS tells us that the company will release two separate filmed performances of the production, starring Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi, double-cast as the lead heroine Chihiro. Character actor Mari Natsuki, who voiced the sorceress Yubaba and her twin sister Zeniba in the original motion picture, returns to her original role, accompanied by voice actor Romi Park. They are accompanied by a star-studded cast of Japan’s finest actors. SPIRITED AWAY: Live On Stage was created in association with Studio Ghibli, and presented by Toho Co., Ltd. The deal was negotiated between GKIDS and Toho. GKIDS will release the stage production theatrically in spring 2023. I am so ready for my vision of more stage play adaptations of anime and animation from Japan being accessible for more audiences and for Spirited Away to be the first filmed versions that I’ll be able to see on the big screen in theaters come Spring!
Introduction and Synopsis
Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award®-winning animated feature film comes to life in this first-ever stage adaptation, full of dazzling sets, captivating musical numbers, and wondrous puppets of beloved characters. Adapted and directed by Tony Award®-winner John Caird (Les Misérables), two unique casts and performances were filmed during the show’s acclaimed 2022 run at Tokyo’s historic Imperial Theatre, featuring Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi as Chihiro.
While traveling to their new home, Chihiro and her family stumble into a world of fantastic spirits ruled over by the sorceress Yubaba. When her parents are turned into pigs and she is put to work in a magical bathhouse, Chihiro must use her wits to survive in this strange new place, find a way to free her parents, and return to the normal world.
Cast
Chihiro: Kanna Hashimoto/Mone Kamishiraishi
Haku: Kotaro Daigo /Hiroki Miura
No Face: Koharu Sugawara/Tomohiko Tsujimoto
Lin/Chihiro’s Mother: Miyu Sakihi/Fu Hinami
Kamaji: Tomorowo Taguchi/Satoshi Hashimoto
Yubaba/Zeniba: Mari Natsuki/Romi Park
Aniyaku/Chihiro’s Father: Kenya Osumi
Chichiyaku: Sunao Yoshimura
Aogaeru: Obata no Oniisan
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The post ‘SPIRITED AWAY: Live On Stage’ Coming Spring 2023 appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Oh, my friends, amazing news! I have been musing on anime adaptations and my newer interest/reading obsession in stage play/live stage adaptions for a while now. I would LOVE to see more live stage productions of all the anime we love. Growing up and loving anime, I was a little saddened that outside the shores of Japan I didn’t have access to the stage plays and the drama CDs that Japanese fans had. I understand why–drama CDs would have to be translated for new audiences, some cultural jokes and nuance would be lost, that would be more work for English voice casts for example, and so on and so on. And stage plays have been broadcasted in limited capabilities before, and I’m happy that I’m not the only one hyped for the news of more and more exposure to stage plays outside of Japan. And the first one we’re getting is Spirited Away.
There have been decades of Sailor Moon stage plays that have reached almost cult status after all these years with rotating actress and actors with more lore and fans that I can even start to comprehend. I’ve always lovingly desired to one day see in person. The Demon Slayer productions have been wildly popular in Japan, thriving with audiences during the pandemic. Possible hot take here: I think we deserve to see anime adapted for the stage! I don’t believe that the plays are a lost art or are underappreciated. Yet, there’s a sort of magic that comes to watching a story unfold on a stage, with performers making it an experience.
Also consider that you’re watching a show! A performance! And this is a labor of love that employs so many professionals: folks in charge of music and lyrics and all the musicians that play live or were recorded. Think of the choreography and fight scene choreographers–every team behind lighting, filming, and acoustics! Vocal coaches, stage directors and the fine folks responsible for all the promo artwork and photography…so imagine my great surprise in hearing the news that one of Studio Ghibli’s beloved films and one of my personal favorites has received its first stage adaptation, filmed and coming to audiences this Spring!
GKIDS tells us “Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award®-winning animated feature film comes to life in this first-ever stage adaptation, full of dazzling sets, captivating musical numbers, and wondrous puppets of beloved characters. Adapted and directed by Tony Award®-winner John Caird (Les Misérables), two unique casts and performances were filmed during the show’s acclaimed 2022 run at Tokyo’s historic Imperial Theatre, featuring Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi as Chihiro.”
“We are thrilled to offer this unique opportunity for Studio Ghibli fans in America to experience the stage production that wowed Japanese press and audiences last year…This imaginative stage adaptation by the legendary John Caird, featuring two wonderful performances by lead actors Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi, helps bring to life one of the greatest films of all time in a dazzling new way.” – GKIDS’ President David Jesteadt.
I am so hyped as Spirited Away is certainly a fave from Studio Ghibli as it remains a film that speaks to the child in me and tells her to be brave and have heart. No matter how old I get, I know that I can watch Chihiro on a grand adventure of wanting to save others but also herself and be swept away for two hours and love it every time. Every year we’re blessed with Ghibli Fest, and this is the one film I know I will always, always see, even if it is the only film I can make time to go watch. Hayao Miyazaki may have set out to make a film for children, for 10-year-olds and worked with others to make a masterpiece touching upon the innocence of childhood that reached audiences everyone of all ages. Through the child protagonist Chirhiro, she learns that growing up comes with transitions, struggles, loss, and surprise: MORE adults that won’t listen to you! Yet–she perseveres and teaches lessons all while moving forward with a mighty heart.
GKIDS tells us that the company will release two separate filmed performances of the production, starring Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi, double-cast as the lead heroine Chihiro. Character actor Mari Natsuki, who voiced the sorceress Yubaba and her twin sister Zeniba in the original motion picture, returns to her original role, accompanied by voice actor Romi Park. They are accompanied by a star-studded cast of Japan’s finest actors. SPIRITED AWAY: Live On Stage was created in association with Studio Ghibli, and presented by Toho Co., Ltd. The deal was negotiated between GKIDS and Toho. GKIDS will release the stage production theatrically in spring 2023. I am so ready for my vision of more stage play adaptations of anime and animation from Japan being accessible for more audiences and for Spirited Away to be the first filmed versions that I’ll be able to see on the big screen in theaters come Spring!
Introduction and Synopsis
Hayao Miyazaki’s Academy Award®-winning animated feature film comes to life in this first-ever stage adaptation, full of dazzling sets, captivating musical numbers, and wondrous puppets of beloved characters. Adapted and directed by Tony Award®-winner John Caird (Les Misérables), two unique casts and performances were filmed during the show’s acclaimed 2022 run at Tokyo’s historic Imperial Theatre, featuring Kanna Hashimoto and Mone Kamishiraishi as Chihiro.
While traveling to their new home, Chihiro and her family stumble into a world of fantastic spirits ruled over by the sorceress Yubaba. When her parents are turned into pigs and she is put to work in a magical bathhouse, Chihiro must use her wits to survive in this strange new place, find a way to free her parents, and return to the normal world.
Cast
Chihiro: Kanna Hashimoto/Mone Kamishiraishi
Haku: Kotaro Daigo /Hiroki Miura
No Face: Koharu Sugawara/Tomohiko Tsujimoto
Lin/Chihiro’s Mother: Miyu Sakihi/Fu Hinami
Kamaji: Tomorowo Taguchi/Satoshi Hashimoto
Yubaba/Zeniba: Mari Natsuki/Romi Park
Aniyaku/Chihiro’s Father: Kenya Osumi
Chichiyaku: Sunao Yoshimura
Aogaeru: Obata no Oniisan
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The post ‘SPIRITED AWAY: Live On Stage’ Coming Spring 2023 appeared first on Black Nerd Problems.
Hey hey! The Rise of Skywalker might not have universal approval from Star Wars fans, but Babu Frik sure does. How could he not! He’s perfect in every way. Our only complaint is we didn’t get to see even more of him in the movie. But that might change very soon. The tiny droidsmith might appear in The Mandalorian‘s third season. At the very least we know two members of his species will. Where do those diminutive beings come from? What could they offer a bounty hunter and his surrogate son on the run? Here’s everything we know about Babu Frik and the Anzellans.
Who Is The Rise of Skywalker‘s Babu Frik?
The nine-inch tall Babu Frik is a good-natured mechanic in the Thieves’ Quarter of Kijimi City on the planet Kijimi. He also serves as a blackmarket droidsmith who only performs his illicit work for Kijimi’s Spice Runners. Although he doesn’t transport any of the illegal spice himself, Babu is an honorary member of the group led by Zorii Bliss. Poe Dameron was part of the “crew” before joining the Resistance, which is how he knew to turn to Babu in his time of need.
How Old Is Babu Frik in The Rise of Skywalker?
Talk about looking good for your age! The cheerful Babu Frik is a spry 85 in The Rise of Skywalker. And while that is certainly old in human years, there’s reason to think his species can live a lot longer. The film’s Visual Dictionary notes that “his legs can still hop but are showing signs of age.” That implies he still has many years ahead of him, but it’s unclear how long that entails.
What Species Is Babu Frik?
The talented droidsmith is an Anzellan, a species of small, skilled creatures close in size to human babies. Anzellans have purple blood and “floating corneal micro-lenses that can see microscopic details.” Their eyes make them especially good at doing difficult mechanical work.
What Is Babu Frik’s Role with the Spice Runners of Kijimi?
Babu Frik can hack into and reprogram or modify almost any droid’s security systems. That includes overriding their safety protocols meant to protect organic beings. With his skills, even the most docile of droids can be weaponized, though Babu refers to them as “tools that can be friends.”
But Babu’s work comes at a cost for those droids, despite the droidsmith’s joyful disposition. Though gentle with each mechanical being, his procedures can prove catastrophic for droids, as C-3PO learned firsthand.
What Did Babu Frik Do to C-3PO in The Rise of Skywalker?
Poe, Rey, and Finn needed Babu Frik to overcome C-3PO’s programming so C-3PO could share his translation of the Sith dagger they had lost. That translation was trapped inside Threepio’s memory bank, and the only way for Babu to unlock it was with a procedure that would entirely wipe the droid’s memories.
C-3PO consented to Babu’s work, and immediately after the Anzellan finished the droid recited the dagger’s translation which revealed the location of Palpatine’s wayfinder. C-3PO then reset to his original programming with no memory of anything that had ever happened to him previously.
Fortunately for Threepio (and Poe’s sanity), R2-D2’s “famously unreliable” memory backups worked, restoring C-3PO’s memories. Hey hey!
What Did Babu Frik Tell Jannah in The Rise of Skywalker?
The Sith dagger’s translation sent the Resistance fighters to Kef Bir. That ocean moon of Endor contained the fractured remains of the second Death Star and Palpatine’s wayfinder. But the uninhabited moon wasn’t empty. There Poe, Rey, and Finn met Jannah and Company 77 who knew they were coming.
After the Millennium Falcon left Kijimi, Babu contacted Jannah on Kef Bir to alert her and the anti-First Order group about the Falcon’s pending arrival. Company 77 then helped the Resistance fighters on their mission.
Babu might seem like an unlikely ally, but that was at least the second time he helped the Resistance. The droidsmith was the one who made it possible for Poe to leave Kijimi years earlier so he could join the rebel faction. And after sending Compnay 77 to Rey’s aide Babu also rode alongside Zorii during the Battle of Exegol after the two escaped the First Order’s destruction of Kijimi. Star Wars canon says Babu officially joined the Resistance after Palpatine’s defeat.
Considering his age and affinity for the Resistance, it’s more than possible—some might even say likely—Babu has a much longer history fighting against the galaxy far, far away’s fascist forces.
Who Voices Babu Frik?
Shirley Henderson, best known for playing Moaning Myrtle in the Harry Potter movies, served as both the voice and puppeteer for Babu Frik during his Kijimi scenes in The Rise of Skywalker. She learned puppeteering so she could control Babu while improvising during his scenes. Henderson also created Babu’s native tongue, accent, and manner of speaking.
Industrial Light & Magic is responsible for his appearance during the Battle of Exegol, as he was originally meant to die during the First Order’s attack on Kijimi. Steven Spielberg might be responsible for saving Babu’s life, arguably his most important contribution to cinema. (Look, we love Babu, okay? Let us have our fun.)
Will Babu Frik Appear in The Mandalorian Season 3?
A trailer for The Mandalorian‘s third season, set roughly 25 years before The Rise of Skywalker, features two Anzellans. Both wear the same kind of welding mask as Babu Frik. However, it’s unclear if either is the droidsmith who will one day reprogram C-3PO.
One of the Anzellans sports a long beard and seems far too old to be Babu. The other, though, screams with a Babu-like joy. They also share similar, though not identical, facial hair. That Anzellan does not sound exactly like Babu, either, but obviously both your voice and grooming preferences can change a lot over two decades. We can’t say that’s not Babu anymore than we can confirm it is.
If that is not Babu Frik, it wouldn’t be the first time a different member of his species appeared in Star Wars. Anzellans are mentioned or show up in canonical books, including those from the High Republic era. And with their skills its easy to see why they have long been in demand. A reprogrammed droid can be a very valuable ally, as proven by Cassian Andor’s loyal Imperial security droid K-2SO.
But whether he appears in The Mandalorian season three or not, we demand to eventually see more of Babu Frik. He might be tiny, but he proves good things come in small packages.
Mikey Walsh is a staff writer at Nerdist. You can follow him on Twitter at @burgermike. And also anywhere someone is ranking the Targaryen kings.
The post Will Babu Frik Appear on THE MANDALORIAN? Here’s What We Know About STAR WARS’ Droidsmith appeared first on Nerdist.
It’s been a roller coaster time for HBO Max and Warner Bros. Discovery. In August 2022, the merged company announced more merges were on the horizon. Plans to combine HBO Max and Discovery+ into one single streaming platform seemed set in stone. In fact, Warner Bros. Discovery planned for the combined HBO Max and Discovery+ product first to roll out in the summer 2023 but then moved up that date to spring 2023. But now, according to reports from Wall Street Journal, which we saw on Deadline, HBO Max and Discovery+ may not merge at all, at least not fully. But that doesn’t mean HBO Max has completely dodged a bullet; it seems like there is much changing and rebranding still to come for the streamer.
Blending HBO Max and Discovery+ never seemed to make good content sense. The two streaming platforms seem at total odds with one another in terms of the movies and shows they prioritize. Additionally, since the proposed merger, we saw more and more content cut from HBO Max. And these content cuts did not feel favorably received. But in the end, reports indicate the chief culprit for the possible Warner Bros. Discovery change of plans comes down to the usual suspect, price. Deadline shares that potentially, research indicated Discovery+ subscribers balked at a potential price increase. HBO Max is one of the pricier streamers, after all, costing users $16 per month or $10 with ads. Discovery+, meanwhile, costs approximately half that, $7 or $5 with ads.
Even when discussing combining HBO Max and Discovery+, Warner Bros. Discovery noted its greater ability to support an audience at scale. Clearly, the company wishes to keep that audience. The Wall Street Journal indicates that the potential new plan includes keeping Discovery+ as a separate service but evolving HBO Max into a new, rebranded product. This plan could still see Discovery+ content such as “Shark Week” on HBO Max, but Discovery+ would remain its own option. In addition, there is some discussion of a brand new, free free ad-supported streaming service that “will include a variety of streaming channels of programming including library content from the Warner Bros. studio, as well as shows that originally ran on HBO and Discovery outlets.”
As for HBO Max, what that product will be isn’t yet clear. However, rumors of the name “Max” have been circulating. And recently, HBO Chairman and CEO Casey Bloys seemed to feed into this idea. He noted that keeping the HBO brand feels limiting to a product. Bloys indicates that parents with kids may not feel like the service is for them while the HBO moniker is there. And its important that a streaming service be able to reach every member of a family. We’ll have to wait and see what that means for HBO Max’s current prestige offerings and for HBO Max as a whole. For now, nothing is fully set when it comes to the platform’s future.
The post HBO Max and Discovery+ May Not Fully Merge Into a Single Platform After All appeared first on Nerdist.