Almost every Studio Ghibli movie is considered to be an anime classic (but not you, Tales from Earthsea). Even among that legendary filmography, a few of Hayao Miyazaki’s films stand out as the greatest of all time. Princess Mononoke is easily in said pantheon, and to celebrate the film’s legendary status, it’s getting a very surprising but very much welcome remaster and theatrical re-release.
Princess Mononoke was first released in 1997. Written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki, it is currently ranked as the 82nd greatest movie of all time on IMDb and holds an astounding 93% Rotten Tomato score — not that you need RT to remind you how good the film is. Princess Mononoke is one of Ghibli’s more fantastical films, compared to the realistic stories of From Up on Poppy Hill and Grave of the Fireflies, but still devastatingly delivers Miyazaki’s consistent anti-war themes. Now, fans will be able to re-watch the epic film on the big screen… in IMAX!
Princess Mononoke Gets an IMAX Re-Release
According to the official IMAX website, Princess Mononoke will receive a 4K IMAX re-release this month. The gorgeous world of 14th Century Japan, infused with forest spirits and greedy humans will return to IMAX theaters on March 26th. It hasn’t been revealed if screenings will only be held on that day, or if the re-release will run for longer.
With the announcement, the official X account for GKIDS shared a new trailer for the 4K restoration, which included some intricately remastered shots from the movie. It hasn’t been specified whether the 4K IMAX re-release will show the subbed or dubbed version. As listed by the GKIDS tweet, both the Japanese and English-dubbed versions will be available across different showtimes.
In the post, GKIDS provided some information on the 4K remaster, saying, “The IMAX version of the film was created from a new 4K restoration directly overseen by Studio Ghibli’s own Atsushi Okui, who has been involved in nearly every major Studio Ghibli project since he first started at the studio in 1993.”
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Princess Mononoke‘s Endearing Legacy
Like most of Studio Ghibli’s films, Princess Mononoke still manages to charm and capture audiences’ hearts nearly 30 years after its release. The movie also continues to inspire filmmakers across the globe. Following the release of Godzilla Minus One in 2023, its director, Takashi Yamazaki, shared how Princess Mononoke was a major influence on his seminal kaiju movie. “At the very beginning of Mononoke, the people have to calm the raging spirit down, and I wanted to create a Godzilla in a very similar vein,” Yamazaki revealed.
The official IMAX description for Princess Mononoke reads, “Inflicted with a deadly curse, the young warrior Ashitaka heads west in search of a cure. There, he stumbles into a bitter conflict between Lady Eboshi, the proud people of Iron Town, and the enigmatic Princess Mononoke, a young girl raised by wolves, who will stop at nothing to prevent the humans from destroying her home and the forest spirits and animal gods who live there.”
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