LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR - Anime Film Comes to Theaters June 21 & 22 From GKIDS

Source: GKIDS press release, Shochiku Co., Ltd.
Official Sites: https://movies.shochiku.co.jp/kagaminokojo/ (Japan), https://gkids.com/films/lonely-castle-in-the-mirror/ (North America)

GKIDS, celebrating its 15th anniversary as a producer and distributor of award-winning and artist-driven animation from around the world, will bring LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR (かがみの孤城, Kagami no Kojō, 2022) to select theaters nationwide for event showings on June 21 and 22^nd only. From critically acclaimed Director Keiichi Hara (MISS HOKUSAI, COLORFUL, THE WONDERLAND), the film features animation from the lauded A-1 Pictures, and is adapted from the beloved novel of the same name by Mizuki Tsujimura.

LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR held its International Premiere at the Rotterdam International Film Festival – marking the first time a Japanese animated feature was selected for the festival – and additionally had its US premiere at the New York International Children’s Film Festival. It was nominated for the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year, and was a box office hit during its domestic release in Japan in December 2022, grossing over one billion yen (approx. 7.3 million USD).

Hara worked with various past collaborators on the project, including screenwriter Miho Maruo (MISS HOKUSAI, THE WONDERLAND), composer Harumi Fuuki (MISS HOKUSAI, THE WONDERLAND), as well as acclaimed artist Ilya Kuvshinov (THE WONDERLAND) for visual concept and castle designs.

GKIDS handles North American distribution for Keiichi Hara’s films, including his previous features SUMMER DAYS WITH COO (2007) and MISS HOKUSAI (2015). GKIDS will release LONELY CASTLE IN THE MIRROR theatrically in both its original Japanese language and an all-new English dubbed version. Tickets are on sale now at LonelyCastleMovie.com

Synopsis

Shy outcast Kokoro has been avoiding school for weeks when she discovers a portal in her bedroom mirror. She reaches through and finds herself transported to an enchanting castle where she is joined by six other students. When a girl in a wolf mask explains that they have been invited to play a game, the teens must work together to uncover the mysterious connection that unites them. However, anyone who breaks the rules will be eaten by a wolf.

Country: Japan

Original Language: Japanese

Runtime: 116 minutes

Director: Keiichi Hara

Producer: Hirotaka Aragaki, Kei Kushiyama

Script: Miho Maruo

Studio: A-1 Pictures

Music: Harumi Fuuki

Japanese Voice Cast: Ami Touma, Takumi Kitamura, Sakura Kiryu, Rihito Itagaki, Naho Yokomizo, Minami Takayama, Yuki Kaji, Mana Ashida

About GKIDS

Celebrating its 15th anniversary, GKIDS is the producer and distributor of artist-driven and award-winning animation from around the world. The company has scored an astounding 12 Best Animated Feature Oscar nominations with THE SECRET OF KELLS in 2010, A CAT IN PARIS and CHICO & RITA in 2012, ERNEST & CELESTINE in 2014, THE TALE OF PRINCESS KAGUYA and SONG OF THE SEA in 2015, BOY AND THE WORLD and WHEN MARNIE WAS THERE in 2016, MY LIFE AS A ZUCCHINI in 2017, THE BREADWINNER in 2018, MIRAI in 2019, and WOLFWALKERS in 2021. GKIDS handles North American distribution for the famed Studio Ghibli library of films, one of the world’s most coveted animation collections with titles SPIRITED AWAY, MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, PRINCESS MONONOKE and others; as well as the critically acclaimed television series, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION. Also, GKIDS is the founder and host of ANIMATION IS FILM, the annual LA-based film festival which embraces the highest aspirations of animation as a cinematic art form, and is a vocal advocate for filmmakers who push the boundaries of the medium to its fullest range of artistic expressions. www.gkids.com

About Shochiku Co., Ltd.

Shochiku traces its origins to 1895 when Takejiro Otani presented his first stage play. They also produced the first color motion picture in Japan, and have expanded into TV dramas, video contents, Kabuki presentation, theater operations, and real estate. The company has become a symbol of enduring tradition as the exclusive promoter of the Kabuki theater in Japan as well as widely known as the creator of the world’s longest-running feature film series, TORA-SAN. The company is making all possible efforts to develop business in various fields, including multimedia and co-productions, across generation, national, and cultural borders.