Netflix has now added one more feature film from critically acclaimed Studio Ghibli to its fancy animation slate. This time it’s Goro Miyazaki’s ‘Earwig and the Witch’ that will start streaming on Netflix globally (except US and Japan) from 18th November, 2021 onwards.
Based on the eponymous novel by English writer Diana Wynne Jones, Studio Ghibli’s ‘Earwig and the Witch’ follows Earwig, a 10-year-old orphan girl, who has grown up in a home for children where she always gets her way, and never wants for anything. One day, she is visited by a strange couple: a gaudy-looking woman who goes by the name Bella Yaga, and a lanky gentleman called Mandrake. They take Earwig back to their abode. “I’m a witch. I brought you into this house… because I need another pair of hands.” – ”You agree that you’ll teach me everything you know about magic. And I agree to remain here and help you out!”
So begins Earwig’s agreement with Bella Yaga, and her new life working as a witch’s helper. However, all the hostile woman does is work the defiant girl to the bone, without teaching her even a smidgen of magic. For the first time ever, Earwig finds herself at someone else’s beck and call, so she joins forces with Bella Yaga’s familiar, a magic-savvy black cat named Thomas, and goes on the counterattack!
Goro Miyazaki has directed ‘Earwig and the Witch’ with a planning by Hayao Miyazaki and screenplay from Keiko Niwa and Emi Gunji. This latest film will join Studio Ghibli’s 21 films already available and loved all over the world on Netflix like ‘My Neighbor Totoro’, ‘Princess Mononoke’, the Academy Award-winning ‘Spirited Away’ and more.
Talking about the film, director Goro Miyazaki said, “We’re thrilled that our film Earwig and the Witch will reach many countries and territories through Netflix. The film is Studio Ghibli’s first fully 3D CGI film which prompted us with an exciting challenge to reflect the spirit and pride of our studio using this new artform.” He further added, “Today, the world is forced to continue its journey into a chaotic era. We hope this film will inspire our children who live long into the future.”
“We’re incredibly fortunate to continue expanding the Studio Ghibli film lineup on Netflix by streaming Earwig and the Witch. The highly anticipated new film of Goro Miyazaki will bring a fresh perspective to the wildly popular Studio Ghibli films. In countries and territories where we stream Studio Ghibli films (excluding US and Japan), 55M households have chosen to watch a Studio Ghibli film on Netflix since 2020, and that number will only continue to grow,” said Aram Yacoubian, Director of Animation Film at Netflix.
‘Earwig and the Witch’ will be release on Netflix in over 30 languages, including Japanese, English, Mandarin, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Korean, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish, Thai in addition to many more language available in subtitles. The film will premiere on Netflix on 18th November, 2021.
The other Studio Ghibli films currently streaming on Netflix are: Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), Castle in the Sky (1986), My Neighbor Totoro (1988), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), Only Yesterday (1991), Porco Rosso (1992), Ocean Waves (1993), Pom Poko (1994), Whisper of the Heart (1995), Princess Mononoke (1997), My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999), Spirited Away (2001), The Cat Returns (2002), Howl’s Moving Castle (2004), Tales from Earthsea (2006), Ponyo on the Cliff by the Sea (2008), Arrietty (2010), From Up on Poppy Hill (2011), The Wind Rises (2013), The Tale of The Princess Kaguya (2013), When Marnie Was There (2014) and now Earwig and the Witch (2020).
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