Disney has announced that it has acquired the U.S. theatrical distribution rights to Studio Ghibli filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki's newest project,
The Wind Rises (
Kaze Tachinu), which was a major success when it debuted earlier this summer in Japan. The critically acclaimed animated film is expected to arrive in U.S. theaters in 2014, with a Blu-ray release to follow.
Synopsis: Built on the stories of Jiro Horikoshi, visionary designer of one the most beautiful airplanes in history -- the famed Zero fighter -- and the writer Tatsuo Hori,
The Wind Rises is a tale of love and perseverance in a turbulent world brought to life by the vivid animation of Studio Ghibli. Inspired by the aesthetics of design and the freedom of flying, Jiro pursues a life dedicated to the creation of a beautiful aircraft. The film covers the passage of time from Jiro's childhood, filled with dreams of engineering, to adulthood as he creates an elegant, flight worthy plane that eventually is used for something quite different than he expected, war.
Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's most recent film,
From Up on Poppy Hill, arrives on Blu-ray in the U.S. from GKIDS and New Video Group, on September 3rd. Disney, though, has released the majority of Studio Ghibli films available on Blu-ray, including
Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind,
Castle in the Sky,
My Neighbor Totoro,
Whisper of the Heart,
Howl's Moving Castle,
Ponyo and
The Secret World of Arrietty.