Netflix
“The Imaginary” is a hand-drawn fantasy animated film from Japanese studio Ponoc that will be in competition at this year’s Annecy International Animation Film Festival, and is scheduled to premiere July 5 on Netflix. An Oscar-qualifying run is also scheduled.
“The Imaginary” is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, whose credits as an animator include Studio Ponoc’s 2017 feature debut “Mary and the Witch’s Flower” and Studio Ghibli’s Oscar winner “Spirited Away.” Studio Ponoc founder Yoshiaki Nishimura, the Academy Award-nominated producer of Studio Ghibli's “The Tale of The Princess Kaguya” and “When Marnie Was There.”
Based on the novel of the same name by A. F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett, “Fantasy” is described as a fantasy that “depicts the depths of humanity and creativity through the eyes of young Amanda and her imaginary companion Rodger. Their imaginative adventures, launched from the attic, lead them to discover a magical world of creatures.” and never-before-seen places until an evil force threatens to destroy their imaginary world and the friendship found within it.
The release is part of a multi-film deal between Netflix and Studio Ponoc announced in January. Studio Bonok was founded in Tokyo in 2015.
Earlier this year, Netflix's animated film “Nimona” received an Oscar nomination. A year earlier, the studio won its first Academy Award for Animated Feature Films for Guillermo del Toro's Pinocchio. Upcoming animated features from Netflix include “Orion and the Dark,” “Thelma the Unicorn,” “Ultraman: Rising,” “Saving Bikini Bottom: The Sandy Cheeks Movie,” “That Christmas,” and “Spellbound.” , and “In Your Dreams”. And “fools.”
