A young boy named Shawn (right, voice of David Henrie) is astonished when he visits the garden and discovers Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny person who lives hidden with her family under the floorboards of the house where he’s staying, in Disney’s release of the Studio Ghibli animated feature, THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY. Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios. © 2010 GNDHDDTW

Anime Film Opens February 17, 2012 Source: Walt Disney Studios press release Official Movie Site: karigurashi.jp (Japan), disney.go.com/arrietty (US)

US poster art, courtesy of Walt Disney Studios. © 2010 GNDHDDTW

Residing quietly beneath the floorboards are little people who live undetected in a secret world to be discovered, where the smallest may stand tallest of all. From the legendary Studio Ghibli (SPIRITED AWAY, PONYO) comes THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY (????????????, Karigurashi no Arrietty, 2010), an animated adventure based on Mary Norton’s acclaimed children’s book series The Borrowers. Arrietty (voice of Bridgit Mendler), a tiny, but tenacious 14-year-old, lives with her parents (voices of Will Arnett and Amy Poehler) in the recesses of a suburban garden home, unbeknownst to the homeowner and her housekeeper (voice of Carol Burnett). Like all little people, Arrietty remains hidden from view, except during occasional covert ventures beyond the floorboards to “borrow” scrap supplies like sugar cubes from her human hosts. But when 12-year-old Shawn (voice of David Henrie), a human boy who comes to stay in the home, discovers his mysterious housemate one evening, a secret friendship blossoms. If discovered, their relationship could drive Arrietty’s family from the home and straight into danger. Studio Ghibli was co-founded by Hayao Miyazaki, one of the most influential and admired filmmakers working in animation today and a major figure in the Japanese cinematic landscape. His films have inspired moviegoers and colleagues around the world, from Pixar`s John Lasseter to fantasist Guillermo del Toro to Chinese director Tsui Hark, and consistently top the box office in his native Japan.

Arrietty shows her mother, Homily (voice of Amy Poehler), an amazing object that she has “borrowed” while on her first covert mission with her father. Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios. © 2010 GNDHDDTW

THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY was directed by Hiromasa Yonebayashi, a top animator at Studio Ghibli. Yonebayashi was responsible for the animation in a signature scene in PONYO, in which Ponyo runs atop ocean waves. The English language version of THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY was executive produced by Kathleen Kennedy and Frank Marshall, highly successful producing partners whose films, separately and together, include THE CURIOUS CASE OF BENJAMIN BUTTON, E.T., WHO FRAMED ROGER RABBIT?, the Indiana Jones films and the JURASSIC PARK films. In total, Kennedy and Marshall have earned 11 Oscar nominations. English language voice talent director Gary Rydstrom is a seven-time Academy Award-winning sound designer/mixer (TERMINATOR 2: JUDGMENT DAY). He joined Pixar Animation Studios as an animation film director in 2003. His directorial debut for the studio was the Academy Award-nominated short film LIFTED, and he directed the short film HAWAIIAN VACATION, which was released with CARS 2 in June 2011. English language screenplay writer Karey Kilpatrick’s credits include SPIDERWICK CHRONICLES and OVER THE HEDGE, which he also directed (with Tim Johnson). THE SECRET WORLD OF ARRIETTY hits theaters February 17, 2012. Director: Hiromasa Yonebayashi Producer: Toshio Suzuki Screenplay by: Hayao Miyazaki and Keiko Niwa Based on The Borrowers by: Mary Norton English Language Version Director: Gary Rydstrom Executive Producers: Kathleen Kennedy, Frank Marshall Screenplay by: Karey Kirkpatrick Voice Cast: Bridgit Mendler, Amy Poehler, Carol Burnett, Will Arnett, David Henrie, Moises Arias

Tiny but tenacious Arrietty comes face to whiskers with the menacing household cat, but won’t allow herself to be intimidated by this fussy feline. Image courtesy of Walt Disney Studios. © 2010 GNDHDDTW

About Studio Ghibli

Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by animation directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and is one of the most successful and well-respected animation studios in the world. Cultivating a creative force of talented directors, animators, and storytellers under the revered brilliance of Miyazaki and Takahata, Studio Ghibli’s films have been praised for their originality, dazzling animation, and epic storytelling. The films have become a beloved part of Japanese popular culture, and have garnered worldwide acclaim from audiences and critics alike. Hayao Miyazaki’s SPIRITED AWAY won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature in 2002 and in 2005 Miyazaki was named one of "the most influential people" by Time Magazine.

About The Walt Disney Studios

For more than 85 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under four banners: Walt Disney Pictures, which includes Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios, Disneynature, Marvel, and Touchstone Pictures, which includes the distribution of live action films from DreamWorks Studios. Through the Home Entertainment and Television divisions, innovative distribution methods provide access to creative content across multiple platforms. Original music and motion picture soundtracks are produced under Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records, while Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Broadway theatrical productions, Disney on Ice and Disney LIVE!.