TOTORO TAKES CENTER STAGE
The Royal Shakespeare Company’s celebrated theatrical adaptation of My Neighbor Totoro has unveiled a magical new trailer featuring a rare appearance by the iconic forest spirit. The preview, released by executive producer Joe Hisaishi in collaboration with RSC, Nippon TV and Improbable, showcases the production’s Olivier Award-winning puppetry that brings Studio Ghibli’s beloved characters to life.
Adapted by Tom Morton-Smith and directed by Phelim McDermott, the stage production reimagines Hayao Miyazaki’s 1988 animated classic. After its Barbican premiere in 2022 earned six Olivier Awards and five WhatsOnStage Awards, the show has found a long-term home at London’s Gillian Lynne Theatre through March 2026.
The production features:
- Live performances of Hisaishi’s legendary score
- Original artwork by Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki
- Victoria Chen and Ami Okumura Jones as sisters Mei and Satsuki
- A 20-strong puppetry ensemble creating the magical creatures
FORMAT FACTORY LAUNCH
BAFTA-winning producers Will Macdonald and David Granger (Made in Chelsea, Don’t Hate the Playaz) have established Idle Industries, a new production company specializing in premium unscripted formats. The venture launches with a first-look distribution deal from BBC Studios.
The duo previously built Monkey into a UK production powerhouse before its NBCUniversal acquisition, creating hits like:
- The Emily Atack Show
- Generation Drag
- Elton John: Me, Myself & I
- TFI Friday revival
K-FORMAT CROSSOVER
Seoul’s Something Special has inked two format deals with France’s Flanagan Productions for Korean competition shows:
- Still Alive – Horror-comedy game show (now optioned in 14 territories)
- The Penthouse Game – High-stakes financial survival series
MEDIA TRUTH CRISIS
James Harding (Tortoise Media, The Observer) will deliver the 50th James MacTaggart Memorial Lecture at Edinburgh TV Festival 2025. The former BBC News director will examine truth erosion in media amid tech disruption and shrinking public service journalism. He follows notable past speakers including Michaela Coel and Louis Theroux.
Featured image: ‘My Neighbor Totoro’ stage production © RSC/Nippon TV
Adreena is a writer from Nagano, Japan, but is now residing in Singapore. She mostly writes music news and reviews, but in her spare time, she likes writing fiction and poems.