Photo courtesy of NHK Enterprises. © Machiko Kyo (AKITASHOTEN) / NHK, NEP
Source: GKIDS press release
Additional Content: NHK Enterprises
Official Site: https://gkids.com/films/cocoon-one-summer-of-girlhood/
Photo courtesy of GKIDS. © Machiko Kyo (AKITASHOTEN) / NHK, NEPGKIDS, the Academy Award-winning producer and distributor of acclaimed and artist-driven animation from around the world, announced today it has acquired all rights for North America to COCOON – ONE SUMMER OF GIRLHOOD (cocoon〜ある夏の少女たちより〜, cocoon 〜Aru Natsu no Shōjo-Tachi Yori〜, 2025), a wartime drama based on Machiko Kyo’s manga cocoon (コクーン, Kokūn, 2009-10) and debut feature from Director Yukimitsu Ina (KEEP YOUR HANDS OFF EIZOUKEN!, STAR WARS: VISIONS – TATOOINE RHAPSODY) and animation studio SASAYURI, founded by Studio Ghibli alum Hitomi Tateno (MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO, HOWL’S MOVING CASTLE). The animated feature will be released in theatres in its original Japanese with English subtitles and English dub beginning September 4th.
First debuting in Japan in March 2025, COCOON – ONE SUMMER OF GIRLHOOD, will make its North American premiere this July at JAPAN CUTS, North America’s largest Japanese film festival hosted by New York City-based Japan Society. GKIDS plans to announce details on its home entertainment release later this year.
COCOON – ONE SUMMER OF GIRLHOOD is brought to screen by a powerhouse team of industry veterans and fresh talent alike, including renowned animators Akihiko Yamashita (SPIRITED AWAY, THE BOY AND THE HERON) and Shinji Otsuka (KIKI’S DELIVERY SERVICE, PRINCESS MONONOKE). Director Yukimitsu Ina also pens the screenplay adaptation alongside Taku Kishimoto (HAIKYU!!, SAKAMOTO DAYS). As a bonus for theatrical screenings, fans of the legendary musician kensuke ushio (CHAINSAW MAN – THE MOVIE: REZE ARC, DANDADAN, A SILENT VOICE) will be able to enjoy a special behind-the-scenes look at his process composing the score.
The film stars acclaimed actresses Hikari Mitsushima as “Mayu” and Marika Ito as “San”. Additional cast include Yoko Hikasa as “Tamaki”, Rena Motomura as “Hina”, Chinatsu Akasaki as “Mari”, Aoi Koga as “Yuri”, Yume Miyamoto as “Kaede”, Miyuki Sawashiro as “Kaho”, and Umeka Shoji as “Teacher”. Izumi Aoyagi, who led the MUM & GYPSY stage adaptation as “San”, joins the cast as “Shiho”. GKIDS will reveal the English dub cast later this summer.
Synopsis:
San and Mayu attend an all-girls school on a warm and tranquil island. When war reaches their shores, they are ordered to help nurse the wounded in a military hospital hidden away in a cave. Amidst escalating death and brutality, the friends struggle to find solace in their fragile lives.
Based on the manga by Machiko Kyo, cocoon – ONE SUMMER OF GIRLHOOD is the debut feature from Yukimitsu Ina and animation studio SASAYURI, founded by former Studio Ghibli animator Hitomi Tateno. The project brings together legendary veteran animators like Akihiko Yamashita and Shinji Otsuka, known for their work on PRINCESS MONONOKE and THE BOY AND THE HERON, with a new, young generation of animating talent. Featuring a stirring score from kensuke ushio (A SILENT VOICE, CHAINSAW MAN), the film is a devastating yet beautiful plea for peace.
Based on the manga cocoon by Machiko Kyo
Director: Yukimitsu Ina
Music: kensuke ushio
Animation Producer: Hitomi Tateno
Animation Production: SASAYURI
Produced By: NHK in association with NHK Enterprises
Runtime: 63 minutes
Rating: Not Rated
© Machiko Kyo (AKITASHOTEN) / NHK, NEP
Photo courtesy of NHK Enterprises. © Machiko Kyo (AKITASHOTEN) / NHK, NEP
Photo courtesy of NHK Enterprises. © Machiko Kyo (AKITASHOTEN) / NHK, NEP
About GKIDS
GKIDS is the Academy Award-winning curator, producer, and distributor of artist-driven, globally inspired cinema dedicated to connecting North American audiences with distinctive stories from around the world. Widely celebrated for its leadership in the “animation is film” movement, the studio has played a pivotal role in shaping the landscape for feature animation in the U.S. and internationally for nearly two decades. GKIDS represents the work of many of the world’s most acclaimed animation filmmakers, including Makoto Shinkai (YOUR NAME., WEATHERING WITH YOU), Satoshi Kon (PERFECT BLUE, MILLENNIUM ACTRESS), Tomm Moore (SONG OF THE SEA, WOLFWALKERS), Mamoru Hosoda (MIRAI, WOLF CHILDREN), and serves as the North American home of Japan’s legendary Studio Ghibli.
Upcoming theatrical releases include the highly anticipated GODZILLA MINUS ZERO, the follow up to director Takashi Yamazaki’s Academy Award-winning GODZILLA MINUS ONE; and SHAUN THE SHEEP: THE BEAST OF MOSSY BOTTOM, the latest Aardman feature in the beloved Oscar-nominated film series. In addition to Oscar-nominated KOKUHO and LITTLE AMÉLIE AND THE CHARACTER OF RAIN, recent theatrical releases are the box office hit JUJUTSU KAISEN: EXECUTION, Mamoru Oshii’s cult classic ANGEL’S EGG, and the critically acclaimed ALL YOU NEED IS KILL, alongside groundbreaking television series such as DAN DA DAN, NEON GENESIS EVANGELION, and ARCANE: LEAGUE OF LEGENDS. @GKIDSFilms