.jpg?q=50&fit=contain&w=1140&h=&dpr=1.5)
A haunting new piece of Studio Ghibli fan art showcases just how deadly San and her wolf siblings are in Princess Mononoke.
The image, which was uploaded on Reddit by digital artist AgnaSteelhouse, sees San crouching in a forest clearing with two wolves far off in the background. The artwork is composed predominantly in grayscale except for the bloody red staining San's fingers, mask and fur cloak, and gleaming in the wolves' eyes.
Princess Mononoke's Timeless Legacy
A historical fantasy, Princess Mononoke was released in July 1997. Despite over two decades passing since its release, the beloved cinematic classic continues to inspire a plethora of fan-made content. Beyond AgnaSteelhouse's stunning but eerie image, a recent example is artist Jenny Li's calming illustration that recreates the scene where San takes Ashitaka to be healed by the Forest Spirit. Moreover, new collectibles and merchandise for the movie are still being produced; notably, The Studio Ghibli Museum has started selling decorative versions of San's iconic mask.
Areas inspired by Princess Mononoke will also feature as part of Ghibli Park, a new theme park that celebrates the studio's creations. Ghibli Park will open its doors in Nagakute, Aichi, Japan on Nov. 1 and a newly released promotional video provides the public with its first look at the various attractions and buildings.
Directed by iconic filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, Princess Mononoke tells the story of a warrior prince named Ashitaka. After being cursed by a corrupted animal god, he travels west and finds himself entangled in a conflict between the humans of a mining town and the spirits of the nearby forest. Like many other Studio Ghibli films, the movie presents themes of empathy, compassion and the necessity of protecting the environment.
While many know that Miyazaki wrote the original screenplay for Princess Mononoke, fewer are aware that Neil Gaiman, author of titles like The Sandman and American Gods, penned the script for the English dub. Gaiman recently explained his absence from the movie's promotional material, stating, "my name was taken off the poster by Miramax execs who were told by Ghibli that there were too many names on the poster. So they kept theirs on and took mine off. Which wasn’t quite what Ghibli had intended." Gaiman also attributed Princess Mononoke's poor box office performance in the US to Miramax executives, particularly the now-disgraced Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein.
Princess Mononoke and other Studio Ghibli movies like Spirited Away and Ponyo are available to rent on Amazon Prime Video thanks to GKIDS.
Source: Reddit