Studio Ghibli has defined a generation, producing films acclaimed worldwide including Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro in spite their Japanese culture and folklore being the primary focus in most of their films they created immersive and colorful worlds which transcended cultural borders.

Studio Ponoc has risen through the tutelage of Ghibli and producer Yoshiaki Nishimura and director Hiromasa Yonebayashi – who created the 2015 Oscar-nominated When Marnie Was There– and a handful of animators have broken away from Ghibli to start from scratch and nurture their own studio.

While Studio Ghibli’s title was christened by Hayao Miyazaki which is derived from the Libyan-Arabic name for the hot desert wind of said country, to mean becoming a studio “blow a new wind through the anime industry”, Studio Ponoc’s name comes from the Croatian word for “midnight”, meant to signify “the beginning of a new day”.

Studio Ponoc’s first feature film has been decided to be based on The Little Broomstick by Mary Stewart to be released in 2017. Producer Nishimura and director Yonebayashi along with screenplay writer Riko Sakaguchi (The Tale of the Princess Kaguya) are in charge of the film Mary and the Witch’s Flower. Madman Entertainment has attained New Zealand and Australia release rights to the film.

The film is reminiscent of Alice in Wonderland and if the Studio Ponoc’s predecessor has any effect, dark themes and haunting imagery is promised, something in contrast to the West’s take on animation.