Studio Ghibli's Earwig And The Witch Sets February Release Date

Studio Ghibli, the legendary Japanese animation house, recently premiered Earwig and the Witch on December 30, 2020 overseas. Thankfully, stateside release dates have been announced and reported via The Hollywood Reporter: Select theaters will feature subtitled and English-dubbed versions starting February 3, with an HBO Max streaming debut not far behind on February 5. HBO Max is the exclusive US streaming home for the entire Studio Ghibli catalog.

Earwig and the Witch is Ghibli’s first film since 2014's When Marnie Was There. The movie is about a young girl growing up in an orphanage in the British countryside. Earwig, the girl, "has no idea that her mother had magical powers. Her life changes dramatically when a strange couple takes her in, and she is forced to live with a selfish witch." The rebellious young girl then gets ushered into a world of spells, potions, "and a mysterious song that may be the key to finding the family she has always wanted."

The story is based on a children's novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones, whose 1986 novel Howl's Moving Castle was also the inspiration for Studio Ghibli's animated 2004 adaptation. Earwig and the Witch similarly keeps things in the Ghibli family as it's directed by Goro Miyazaki (From Up on Poppy Hill), who is the son of the esteemed studio co-founder Hayao Miyazaki. This is Studio Ghibli's first 3DCG animated feature.

The script is co-written by Keiko Niwa (Tales from Earthsea) and Emi Gunji (From Up on Poppy Hill), and the English voice cast includes Richard E. Grant (Logan), Vanessa Marshall (Harley Quinn), and musician Kacey Musgraves.

For more, check out GameSpot’s guide to the biggest upcoming movies of 2021.