Studio Ghibli Previews ‘Howl’s Moving Castle’ That It’s Building In Theme Park
Image via Studio Ghibli
Studio Ghibli’s apparent answer to the castles at Disney parks is in its name: Howl’s Moving Castle. Aichi Prefecture, the location of where the highly-anticipated Studio Ghibli theme park, has now teased concept art of the magnificent steampunk structure at ‘Witch Valley’, one of the five distinct zones of the park.
What might disappoint fans, just a teeny bit, is that the replica will be stationary, and won’t be a life-sized recreation of the castle from the 2004 film—but that just means there’s additional legroom for more Studio Ghibli Easter eggs. Tokyo Shimbun reports, however, that the building will still be a stunning four to five stories tall, and that its cannons will be animated.
Within its premises, visitors can explore the castle’s gardens and take a break at nearby restaurants. Inside, they can take a peek at the wizard’s bedroom.
Aside from the castle, ‘Witch Valley’ will also feature elements from Kiki’s Delivery Service.
Aichi Prefecture’s announcement also introduced a new ‘Princess Mononoke’ area, which means, in total, you’ll be able to delve into ‘Witch Valley’; the ‘Princess Mononoke’ region; a ‘Youth Hill’ spotlighting features from The Cat Returns and Whisper of the Heart; a ‘Ghibli Warehouse’; and a ‘Dondokomori’ section, where Totoro and friends will be.
The newly-announced regions, ‘Witch Valley’ and ‘Princess Mononoke’, will open in 2023, while the other three will be available to visit in 2022.
愛知県は３日、同県長久手市の愛・地球博記念公園で進めているジブリパーク整備計画で、事業費として約120億円を2021年度当初予算案に盛り込むと発表しました。「ハウルの動く城」モチーフの「魔女の谷」工事にも着工します。#スタジオジブリ #宮崎駿
— 東京新聞編集局 (@tokyonewsroom) February 3, 2021
https://t.co/tUHkEkWR5O
[via Nerdist, cover image via Studio Ghibli]
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