Tickets are available now via GKIDS official website. GKIDS and Fathom Entertainment will present the filmed production on October 1 and October 8, with both screenings shown in the original Japanese language with English subtitles. The two dates feature different performances, with Kanna Hashimoto portraying Chihiro on October 1 and Mone Kamishiraishi taking the role on October 8, making each screening a distinct theatrical experience.
Spirited Away Gets a Stage Makeover
Filmed during the production’s acclaimed 2022 run at Tokyo’s historic Imperial Theatre, Spirited Away: Live On Stage translates Miyazaki’s fantastical world from animation into live theater. The production recreates the mysterious bathhouse and its supernatural residents through elaborate sets, musical numbers, costumes and puppetry, offering longtime fans a new perspective on the familiar story.
The stage adaptation was adapted and directed by Tony Award winner John Caird, whose theatrical career includes his internationally celebrated work on Les Misérables. Caird’s experience adapting enormous cinematic stories for the stage makes him a fitting choice for such an ambitious production, particularly one attempting to recreate the strange, expansive world Miyazaki originally brought to life through animation.
The production also includes a particularly meaningful connection to the original movie. Mari Natsuki, who voiced both Yubaba and Zeniba in Miyazaki’s animated film, returns as Yubaba for the stage adaptation. She performs alongside Romi Park, with the production also featuring an extensive cast of acclaimed Japanese actors.
One of the most interesting aspects of the theatrical release of Spirited Away: Live on Stage is that audiences aren't simply watching the same recording twice. GKIDS and Fathom Entertainment are showing two separately filmed performances from the stage production. Hashimoto’s Chihiro will headline the October 1 screening, while Kamishiraishi’s interpretation arrives in theaters one week later.
Having two actresses portray Chihiro is particularly appropriate because the stage production itself embraced multiple performers for the central role. Kamishiraishi previously played Chihiro in the 2022 production, while Hashimoto also brought her own interpretation to the character. Their separate filmed performances give fans an opportunity to see how different actors approach Miyazaki’s beloved heroine.
The timing makes the event even more significant. Spirited Away debuted in 2001 and eventually became one of Studio Ghibli’s most internationally recognized films, winning the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. The 25th-anniversary celebration therefore isn't simply a return to an old favorite; it highlights how enduringly influential Miyazaki’s work remains.
The original animated Spirited Away will receive its own Ghibli Fest theatrical celebration from October 17 through October 21, following the stage adaptation’s October screenings. Together, the events give American audiences multiple opportunities to revisit Chihiro’s unforgettable journey, first through a lavish theatrical production and then through the animated classic that started it all.
Release Date
July 20, 2001
Runtime
125 minutes
Producers
Toshio Suzuki
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Rumi Hiiragi
Chihiro (voice)
English (US) ·