Rolling off the Oscar-nominated animated feature “Mirai,” Paris-based sales company Charades is set to reteam with Japanese auteur Mamoru Hosoda on his next directorial outing, “Belle.”
“Belle” follows a fruitful collaboration between Charades, Hosoda and his production company Studio Chizu. “Mirai” world premiered at Cannes’ Directors’ Fortnight in 2018 and was acquired by GKids for the U.S. In addition to being Oscar-nominated, “Mirai” also earned a Golden Globe nomination and received the Annie Award for best animated feature.
Hosoda’s ninth project, “Belle” follows a teenage girl who lives between modern-day Japan and a virtual world called “U.” As with some of Hosoda’s previous work, which includes “Digimon: The Movie” and “Summer Wars,” “Belle” will explore how technology impacts lives and relationships. Hosoda will also tackle familiar themes such as youth, family bonds and friendship to create a story about courage and hope in difficult times.
“I’ve been following closely the evolution of Mamoru Hosoda’s brilliant work over the past years. His voice keeps surprising us, film after film,” said Yohann Comte, partner at Charades. “We are eager to discover his new take on the topical and universal themes he masters. We are very proud to handle the sales of his most ambitious film to date.”
“Belle” is produced by Hosoda’s long-standing collaborator, Yuichiro Saito, president of Studio Chizu. Toho will release the film in Japan in summer 2021. Charades will handle world sales outside of Asia, which will be handled by Studio Chizu.
Besides “Mirai,” Charades’ strong track record in animation also includes Jeremy Clapin’s Oscar-nominated “I Lost My Body,” as well as Ben Stassen’s 3D animated features “Bigfoot Superstar” and “The Queen’s Corgy.”