Disney Announces Arrietty Release Date, Adds Two Other Ghibli Blu-Ray Titles

The Secret World of Arrietty

The Secret World of Arrietty will be available on Blu-ray and DVD on May 22 from Walt Disney Studios and Studio Ghibli.

The Blu-ray Combo Pack release of the animated movie about little people living in the walls of houses (based on Mary Norton’s book The Borrowers) will include the following special features:

  • The storyboard version of the film
  • Original Japanese trailers and TV commercials
  • Music video for “Summertime” performed by Disney Channel star Bridgit Mendler, who is also the speaking voice of Arrietty
  • The making-of that music video
  • Music video for “Arrietty’s Song”, performed by singer/songwriter/harpist Cécile Corbel
  • DVD version of the movie

The Secret World of Arrietty

The DVD edition includes only the “Summertime” video and making-of. I’ve previously posted clips of the movie if you’d like to see more of The Secret World of Arrietty.

Along with this debut on U.S. home video, Disney is releasing two more Studio Ghibli movies on Blu-ray on the same day. I’m thrilled to see that one of them is my favorite, Whisper of the Heart. It’s not as fantastic as many of the others (by which I mean, it’s more realistic in tone, with fewer imaginary creatures); instead, it’s a quieter but still charming story about a young girl falling in love, screenplay by Hayao Miyazaki. It’s a great pairing for the female-centered Arrietty.

Bonus features include the original Japanese storyboards, the Japanese trailers and TV ads, and “Behind the Microphone”, showing the voice talent and footage from the dubbing sessions. Those are carried over from the previous two-disc DVD, but there’s an additional feature described that isn’t listed in that edition. It’s described as the chance to “watch the evolution of four different scenes by master artist Naohisa Inoue”.

Whisper of the Heart cover Castle in the Sky cover
Whisper of the Heart Castle in the Sky

Also being upgraded to Blu-ray is Castle in the Sky, about a boy (James Van Der Beek) and girl (Anna Paquin) seeking the legendary floating castle of Laputa. This one is directed by Miyazaki and includes an introduction by John Lasseter, the original storyboards, and a set of featurettes about creating the movie, including an interview with Miyazaki himself.



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