Mary and the Witch's Flower (2017)

Based on "The Little Broomstick" by Mary Stewart, a strange flower grants a girl magic powers.

Directors:

Hiromasa Yonebayashi, Giles New

Writers:

Mary Stewart (based on the novel "The Little Broomstick" by) (as Mearî Suchuâtô), Riko Sakaguchi (screenplay by)

Stars:

Hana Sugisaki, Ryûnosuke Kamiki, Yûki Amami

4 nominations.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Hana Sugisaki	...	Mary (voice)
Ryûnosuke Kamiki	...	Peter (voice)
Yûki Amami	...	Madam Mumblechook (voice)
Fumiyo Kohinata	...	Doctor Dee (voice)
Hikari Mitsushima	...	The Red-Haired Witch (voice)
Jirô Satô	...	Flanagan (voice)
Ken'ichi Endô	...	Zebedee (voice)
Eri Watanabe	...	Miss Banks (voice)
Shinobu Ôtake	...	Great-Aunt Charlotte (voice)
Ikue Ôtani	...	Tib (voice)
Lynn	...	Gib (voice)
Ruby Barnhill	...	Mary (voice)
Kate Winslet	...	Madam Mumblechook (voice)
Jim Broadbent	...	Doctor Dee (voice)
Ewen Bremner	...	Flanagan (voice)

Storyline

Mary is an ordinary young girl stuck in the country with her Great-Aunt Charlotte and seemingly no adventures or friends in sight. She follows a mysterious cat into the nearby forest, where she discovers an old broomstick and the strange Fly-by-Night flower, a rare plant that blossoms only once every seven years and only in that forest. Together the flower and the broomstick whisk Mary above the clouds and far away to Endor College - a school of magic run by headmistress Madam Mumblechook and the brilliant Doctor Dee. But there are terrible things happening at the school, and, when Mary tells a lie, she must risk her life to try to set things right. Based on Mary Stewart's 1971 classic children's book "The Little Broomstick", "Mary and The Witch's Flower" is an action-packed film full of jaw-dropping imaginative worlds, ingenious characters, and the stirring, heartfelt story of a young girl trying to find a place in the world. Featuring the voices of Ruby Barnhill and Academy ...

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Plot Keywords:

witch | broomstick | flower | anime | magic | 

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Genres:

Animation | Adventure | Family | Fantasy

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Motion Picture Rating (MPAA)

Rated PG for some action and thematic elements

Details

Official Sites:

Altitude Film Distribution [United Kingdom] Altitude Film Sales [United Kingdom]

Country:

Japan

Language:

Japanese English

Release Date:

8 July 2017 (Japan)

Also Known As:

Mary and the Witch's Flower

Box Office

Opening Weekend USA:

$330,052, 21 January 2018, Limited Release

Gross USA:

$2,418,404, 5 April 2018

Company Credits

Production Co:

Amuse,Chukyo TV,D.N. Dream Partners

Technical Specs

Runtime:

103 min

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The film made its American Premiere through Fathom Events, who had a part in Re-Releasing Several Studio Ghibli Films the year before hand leading up to the film's release.

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Connections

Referenced in AniMat's Crazy Cartoon Cast: How to Piss Off Sesame Street (2018)

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Soundtracks

RAIN
Music by Shin'ichi Nakajima (as Nakajin), Saori Fujisaki (as Saori) and Satoshi Fukase (as Fukase)
Lyrics by Saori Fujisaki (as Saori) and Satoshi Fukase (as Fukase)
Performed by Sekai no Owari (as SEKAI NO OWARI)
Courtesy of Toy's Factory

User Reviews

Wonderful animation from Studio Ghibli Alumni

*No Spoilers The first feature length work of animation from Studio Ponoc is a careful interpretation of a classic 1971 children's book. The story is filled with plenty of action and suspense while staying appropriate for younger children. There are no true villains in this story but rather people in conflict because they want different things for themselves. Studio Ponoc includes a group of individuals who banded together after Miyazaki and Takahata announced their retirement from full time features in 2014. As a result this work has a distinct similarity to the visual style of Studio Ghibli films.