Hayao Miyazaki’s beloved Princess Mononoke is returning for a live-action adaptation, and though fans may be hesitant, this new project has the chance to be the kind of homerun that is rarely seen when it comes to adapting anime to live-action.
The adaptation was announced on the X account for Shochiku Stage, a theater company. Running from July to August of 2026, Princess Mononoke is getting a Kabuki adaptation that will debut in Tokyo’s Shimbashi Enbujo Theater. The theater is famous for its Kabuki performances, adding historical weight to the Ghibli adaptation.
Princess Mononoke’s Adaptation Has The Chance To Be a Once-in-a-Lifetime Experience
Famous for its dramatic use of makeup and costuming, Kabuki is an ancient Japanese form of drama dating all the way back to the early 17th century.
Specifically, Princess Mononoke’s adaptation will be done as a Super Kabuki, which is a more modern form of the art form that aims for accessibility and ease of understanding for the modern audience.
According to Japanese news site Mantan Web, it appears as though Princess Mononoke Super Kabuki is getting the all-star treatment. The grandson of Super Kabuki’s inventor is set to portray Ashitaka, and Ghibli composer Joe Hisaishi will return to score the performance.
Speaking to Mantan, Ashitaka’s Kabuki performer Danko Ichikawa expressed just how personal the project was to him.
When I received the news of my grandfather’s passing, the song I listened to was ‘Ashitaka Sekki’ from ‘Princess Mononoke.’ I still vividly remember the feeling of ‘hope’ I received in the midst of my sadness. This was before I was offered this role, and I can’t help but feel that it was fate. Super Kabuki was created by my grandfather, with his eyes on the future of Kabuki, and with the aim of creating a fresh, energetic Kabuki that lives in the present. From that perspective, I feel that performing ‘Princess Mononoke’ as Super Kabuki is very meaningful. I would like to take on ‘Princess Mononoke’ with a clear eye, so that it will be a production that will satisfy not only Kabuki fans but also Ghibli fans, and above all, be enjoyed by everyone.
Previously, popular media such as Square Enix’s Final Fantasy X have received Super Kabuki performances. Given this, it makes sense that Princess Mononoke would earn an adaptation from the art form.
Why Princess Mononoke Can Buck the Trend of Poor Live-Action Adaptations of Anime
While the poor track record of live-action anime adaptations like Dragonball: Evolution may make fans wary of the new theater performance, Princess Mononoke as a Super Kabuki show is such a perfect fit that it’s difficult to imagine the story working in live-action any other way.
1997’s Princess Mononoke is set in early feudal Japan, meaning that a dramatic art form with as much history and cultural cache as Kabuki is a perfect fit for the story.
Additionally, Ghibli has had some success with staging theater performances of their work. Spirited Away’s stage show was critically acclaimed, so there is a successful precedent for Miyazaki’s work being translated to the theater.
Given the all-star roster of talent and just how well the source material fits the medium of Kabuki broadly and Super Kabuki specifically, Princess Mononoke’s live-action adaptation has all the makings of a truly unforgettable experience. Fans can only hope that the performance will come to streaming.
- Release Date
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July 12, 1997
- Runtime
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133 Minutes
