First Look Photos for Studio Ghibli's Latest 'When Marnie Was There'

Marnie isn't all she seems... Time to get a first look at the latest, newest Studio Ghibli film, this one titled When Marnie Was There adapted from the book by Joan G. Robinson of the same name. We've written about this film once before, but thanks to updates from the @ghibli_intl twitter account, we now have some good shots and the first real poster for the new Marnie film, being directed by Yonebayashi Hiromasa, who last directed Ghibli's Secret World of Arrietty. Below we meet Anna (brown hair) and, of course, Marnie, the blue-eyed blonde girl. This version is set in the seaside village of Hokkaido, and looks stunning already.

Here's the first When Marnie Was There shots, two from Oricon Style, the other via SlashFilm. Take a look:Adapted from Joan G. Robinson's children's novel When Marnie Was There (or Omoide no Marnie), it's a coming-of-age story about a young girl that befriends another girl named Marnie, who just so happens to be a ghost. The book is said to have a "special place" on Hayao Miyazaki's 50 Recommended Children's Books list (in full here). Ghibli usually adapts their animated movies directly from children's stories or fables or classic stories from Japanese folk lore. Directing isYonebayashi Hiromasa (Arriety) from a screenplay co-written by Niwa Keiko (From Up on Poppy Hill, Ocean Waves) and Ando Masahi (character designer on Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke). It will be released in Japan this July, but won't arrive here for a while.