Walt Disney Studios and Studio Ghibli will be releasing Tales from Earthsea in a limited theatrical release on August 13, 2010 in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, and Honolulu (Collider.com reports theaters and showtimes, h/t to Nausicaa.net). The movie was directed by Goro Miyazaki and is based on the "Earthsea" series of novels by Ursula K. LeGuin. The English dub cast will include Timothy Dalton, Willem Dafoe, Cheech Marin, Mariska Hargitay, and Matt Levin.
The trailer for the movie is embedded below (movie's native size is 1920x1080):
Disney has also released the following stills from the movie. Click any still to enlarge:
The full press release follows:
Genre: Animated adventure
Rating: PG-13
U.S. Release Date: August 13, 2010 (New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Honolulu)
English Language Voice Cast: Timothy Dalton, Willem Dafoe, Cheech Marin, Mariska Hargitay
Director: Goro Miyazaki
Producer: Toshio Suzuki
Screenplay by: Goro Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa
Inspired by “Shuna’s Journey” by: Hayao Miyazaki
Based on the “Earthsea” series by: Ursula K. Le Guin
From famed Japanese animators Studio Ghibli comes “Tales from Earthsea,” a sweeping adventure set in a mythical world filled with magic and bewitchment. An epic tale of redemption and self-discovery, the story follows the journey of Lord Archmage Sparrowhawk (voice of Timothy Dalton), the master wizard, as he searches for the force behind a mysterious disturbance that has caused an imbalance in the land of Earthsea—suddenly crops and livestock are dwindling, dragons have reappeared and humanity is giving way to chaos. Along the way he rescues Arren (voice of Matt Levin), a troubled young prince who has fled his home and is being pursued by an enigmatic shadow. Arren joins Sparrowhawk on the quest and, moving closer to their intertwined destinies, they cross paths with Tenar (voice of Mariska Hargitay), a former priestess, and her disfigured adopted daughter, Therru. With Sparrowhawk’s magical powers dissipating, all of them must band together to defeat the evil Cob (voice of Willem Dafoe) and his henchman Hare (voice of Cheech Marin) before Cob’s mania to find immortality destroys Earthsea.
Notes:
- “Tales from Earthsea” is based on a book series by Ursula K. Le Guin that is considered one of the greatest in fantasy literature.
- Goro Miyazaki’s father, Hayao Miyazaki, was inspired by the book series for much of his work, including his 1983 comic book “Shuna’s Journey,” as well as key films “Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind,” “Castle in the Sky” and “Princess Mononoke.”
- Goro Miyazaki discovered Le Guin’s books while in high school and considers them relevant today as they showcase how mankind should treat the planet.
- Hayao Miyazaki’s comic “Shuna’s Journey” inspired the look of the film “Tales from Earthsea.”
Master wizard Sparrowhawk (Timothy Dalton), with the help of troubled teen Prince Arren (Matt Levin), must find the cause of a mystifying imbalance in Earthsea that threatens the existence of the land and its inhabitants.
