Fans have reason to believe that Netflix will release a live-action series in 2024 that would serve as a remake of 2002's Spirited Away.
Spirited Away Live-Action Series Rumored for Netflix Release
Across social media (primarily Facebook), fans saw a poster for a live-action Spirited Away series seemingly being developed for a Netflix debut in 2024.
The poster highlights a Japanese-style hut above a live-action take on the film's leading human character, Chihiro "Sen" Ogino, along with the white-and-blue-hued dragon known as Haku.
Along with both the English and Japanese titles for the series, the poster teases a Netflix release for May 2024, although it does not offer a specific release date.
This poster can be seen below:
Originally released in 2002, Spirited Away centers on 10-year-old Chihiro and her parents as they come across a seemingly abandoned amusement park, leading to her parents turning into pigs. The dragon Haku then explains how the park is a resort for supernatural beings needing a break spent in the earthly realm and that she has to work there to free herself and her parents.
Spirited Away held a place for 17 years as the highest-grossing Japanese movie of all time, currently boasting a $357 million haul at the box office (per Box Office Mojo). However, 2020's Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba – The Movie: Mugen Train broke that record.
Sadly, for Spirited Away fans, this poster is a fake, as no specific actor is even listed for Chihiro. The image is also completely developed by computers, potentially by AI, with no plans for a movie or show remake.
How To Watch Spirited Away on Stage
While Spirited Away is not set to be re-developed as a live-action project, the story continues to be told in other venues.
This comes through a live-action stage adaptation of the Japanese movie hitting theaters in 2024, which starts its run at the United Kingdom's London Coliseum as tickets for performances in July and August are on sale now. According to Playbill, it will also be available to stream on Max on December 24.
A picture from the production can be seen below, and fans can also watch the trailer for the stage adaptation on YouTube:
Despite how popular Spirited Away has been since its debut more than two decades ago, no reports or rumors are teasing that it will be reimagined into a live-action remake anytime soon.
It is also highly unlikely that the film will be remade into a live-action project, as Studio Ghibli, the company behind this movie, has only made one live-action project since the studio's inception in 1985.
That project was a short film titled Giant God Warrior Appears in Tokyo and released in 2012, utilizing a combination of live-action footage and CGI to bring the story to life.
For the time being, there are no official plans from Studio Ghibli to return to live-action, as the studio has yet to endorse a live-action take on any of its animated movies.
In February 2024, Godzilla Minus One director Takashi Yamazaki (via ComicBook) admitted to inquiring about a potential live-action remake of Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, directed and written by Studio Ghibli founder Hayao Miyazaki
While the two have spoken often, Yamazaki made it clear that "the answer has always been no" when it comes to adapting one of Miyazaki's projects into live-action.
Taking that into consideration, a live-action Spirited Away can almost certainly be taken off the table as an option until such time Miyazaki has a change of heart.
Spirited Away is streaming on Max and can be purchased in various online marketplaces.
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