Mamoru Hosoda’s BELLE in cinemas in the UK and Ireland this February!
2021 STUDIO CHIZU
FIND YOUR VOICE WITH MAMORU HOSODA’S DAZZLING BELLE IN CINEMAS THIS FEBRUARY
Experience the Oscar-nominated director’s latest animated sensation exclusively in cinemas from 4th February 2022
★★★★★ Robbie Collin, The Daily Telegraph ★★★★★ Phil de Semlyen, Time Out ★★★★★ Stephen Kelly, SFX ★★★★★ Kevin Harley, Total Film ★★★★★ James Perkins, Starbust ★★★★★ Jade King, The Gamer ★★★★★ Guy Lambert, The Upcoming
London, UK, 13th January 2022 – New Year, New U! Anime Limited are delighted to announce the highly anticipated release date for BELLE, the latest animated film from the Oscar and Golden Globe nominated director Mamoru Hosoda (MIRAI, Wolf Children). Audiences across the United Kingdom and Ireland will be able to hear Suzu’s songs exclusively in cinemas nationwide from 4th February 2022.
Directed by Mamoru Hosoda, “BELLE” is an original story inspired by the widely known classic “Beauty and the Beast” and Hosoda’s realization that his own children are growing up in an online age. It is the story of Suzu, a country girl who becomes a musical sensation in the virtual world “U” with her charming avatar Belle.
When her fame attracts the attention of a fearsome yet mysterious user known only as “Dragon”, Suzu will discover where the line between the online and offline self really lies. Critics have called the film “spellbinding” (Robbie Collin, The Telegraph), “set to be a modern animated classic” (Gavin Spoors, Filmhounds), and “a visual and aural feast that absolutely must be seen on the biggest screen possible” (Josh Slater-Williams, AnOther).
BELLE is a truly international achievement that gathers top talent from across the globe under the helm of Mamoru Hosoda, who is widely regarded as “one of the finest directors working in animation today” (Jade King, TheGamer).
The film is animated and produced by Studio Chizu, Mamoru Hosoda’s film production base, with character designs for BELLE by Jin Kim (Disney’s Frozen, Moana) and gorgeous artwork by Eric Wong, a young British architect who designed the virtual world “U”. The fantastic scenes that are part of the virtual world “U” were created by the Oscar-nominated team of Tom Moore and Ross Stewart (Cartoon Saloon’s Wolfwalkers, Song of the Sea).
Taisei Iwasaki (Blood Blockade Battlefront, Ghibli’s Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo) along with composing original songs and score, led multiple composers and produced the film’s music entirely. Other composers include critically acclaimed Yuta Bandoh (Yuri on Ice, Poupelle of Chimney Town) and BAFTA nominee Ludvig Forssell (Kojima Productions’ Death Stranding) The film’s main theme “U” was performed by groundbreaking Japanese act millennium parade led by the composer of the song Daiki Tsuneta.
BELLE was released in cinemas including IMAX screens in Japan starting July 16, 2021. Despite ongoing limited seating capacities and nationwide curfews, the film topped the box office for three consecutive weekends with over 4.7m admissions. The film marks Hosoda’s first title to have IMAX screenings, and played in 38 IMAX theatres throughout Japan. BELLE” surpassed 6.54 billion yen in total box office revenue, surpassing the lifetime box office revenue of “The Boy and the Beast” and becoming the highest ever for a Hosoda film. It is still being screened in Japan.
Synopsis:
From the celebrated Oscar-nominated director Mamoru Hosoda and Studio Chizu, creator of Mirai, Wolf Children, Summer Wars, and more, comes a fantastical, yet beautiful and contemporary thematic story of one girl’s growth in the age of social media.
Suzu is a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural village with her father. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. One day, she enters “U,” a virtual world of 5 billion members on the Internet. There, she is not Suzu anymore but Belle, a world-famous singer. She soon meets with a mysterious creature. Together, they embark on a journey of adventures, challenges and love, in their quest to become who they truly are.
BELLE will be released exclusively in cinemas nationwide from 4th February 2022. The film will be available in both its original Japanese language with English subtitles, as well as an English language version.
Original Language (Sub) Trailer
Book tickets now at – www.bellefilm.co.uk
For further information, please contact Fetch Publicity | Lisa DeBell | lisa@fetch.fm
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About Anime Limited:
Based out of Glasgow, Anime Limited is Europe’s premiere distributor for Japanese animation, renowned for bespoke collector’s editions of fan-favourite anime and soundtracks, connecting Western audiences with creators across languages and oceans, and helping to bring anime front and centre in cinemas. Anime Limited proudly produces releases from the biggest franchises in anime including Cowboy Bebop, Attack on Titan, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, Mobile Suit Gundam, Tokyo Ghoul, Your Name, Weathering With You, Mirai and JUJUTSU KAISEN.
About STUDIO CHIZU:
STUDIO CHIZU was established in April 2011 by director Mamoru Hosoda and producer Yuichiro Saito as a new base for filmmaking. Studio Chizu is a studio specializing in the planning and production of animated films, and the name of the studio reflects the spirit of filmmaking: “to challenge new motifs, themes, and expressions, and to create a new map in the land of animated films, where there are still infinite possibilities. For children and their families around the world, we want to continue to be a “challenger” to create new values and a future for this era. Find out more about Studio Chizu at www.studiochizu.com
