Tales from Earthsea 2006

As the great Japanese anime director Miyazaki Hayao (Spirited Away, Howl's Moving Castle) nears retirement, his celebrated Studio Ghibli finds a worthy successor to the mantle in his son Miyazaki Goro. For his feature debut, Miyazaki junior directs an adaptation of the third book in fantasy novelist Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea chronicles, which will need no introduction to her legions of fans. In a parallel, quasi-medieval world called Earthsea, teenage Prince Arren of the kingdom of Enlad is compelled by strange forces to kill his own father and steal the royal sword, which has mystical powers. Arren teams up with powerful wizard Archmage Ged to defeat wizard Cob, who is preparing to open the door between the realms of the living and the dead. Already the biggest box office hit of last summer in Japan, Tales will appeal equally to young children and adults, who will appreciate the delightful period fantasy elements. Interestingly, American audiences won't be able to see this film until 2009, when the license for the Sci-Fi Channel's Earthsea mini-series expires.