Jim Henson’s Creature Shop is making the puppets for My Neighbor Totoro’s stage debut.
The upcoming stage production of Studio Ghibli’s My Neighbor Totoro will feature puppets in the form of the anime’s most iconic characters. Designed by Basil Twist, they’re currently being built at the iconic Jim Henson Creature Shop in Los Angeles.
“I feel an immense responsibility to bring the iconic characters of My Neighbour Totoro to life on stage,” said Twist. “I want to honor these characters and capture the enchanting mystery of this beloved story. I want audiences to be inspired by the same feeling they get from the film when they meet Totoro on stage, so I chose to bring in the team at Jim Henson’s Creature Shop to make sure we got it right.”
My Neighbor Totoro tells the story of Satsuki and Mei – two sisters who move into an old house along with their father to be closer to their mother, who is recovering from illness in a local hospital. It turns out that the house is inhabited by dust spirits, leading the girls to explore their surroundings – an enchanted, fantasy world inhabited by the ancient protector of the forest, Totoro.
“The Jim Henson Company is synonymous with imagination and childhood,” added Twist. “I have been building puppets since I was a young boy, and to me, there is still nothing more magical than when a seemingly inanimate object comes to life before your eyes. I have worked with the team at the Shop over the course of my career, so when I accepted this challenge and needed a team who could build my designs and bring Studio Ghibli’s treasured characters to life, I knew it had to be Henson. I truly believe we are creating something extraordinary.”
An exploration of magic and nature, My Neighbor Totoro is a Studio Ghibli classic. Thankfully, it sounds as though long-time fans will be pleased with the studio production, which aims to keep its version of the characters as instantly recognizable as the original.
“We know all too well the importance of maintaining the visual style and personality of beloved characters,” said creative supervisor Peter Brooke. “Whether an audience member is a long-time fan of this iconic story, or new to Miyazaki’s fantastical world, they will be simply amazed when they see these magical creatures live on stage in a whole new way in My Neighbour Totoro.”
My Neighbor Totoro opens on October 8, 2022, at the Barbican Centre, London.
Ryan Leston is an entertainment journalist and film critic for IGN. You can follow him on Twitter.