The first Ni no Kuni movie trailer has been released, giving fans their first taste of what the adaptation will look like. The movie is being created by Level-5 and Warner Bros. Studio Ghibli will not be involved, despite helping bring the first Ni no Kuni game to life, but the trailer does show off a similar style to the studio’s signature look. The animated adaptation will tell its own story but is still centered around the game’s concept of parallel worlds.
The Ni no Kuni movie trailer, released by Warner Bros today, runs at just a minute long but gives a good indication of what we can expect. The story involves school kids Yuu and his best friend Haru, and takes place after an incident surrounding their childhood friend Kotona leads the pair to travel between two worlds. Yuu and Haru race to save Kotona across both worlds as they face imminent danger, with the pair being tasked with making the “ultimate choice.”
While Studio Ghibli is no longer involved with the Ni no Kuni series, regular Ghibli collaborator Joe Hisashi will create the movie’s score. Steins;Gate and Death Note voice actor Mamoru Miyano will also be involved, with him portraying a magic chancellor named Yoki. Voice actor Kenjiro Tsuda, known for his role as Seto Kaiba in the Yu-Gi-Oh series, will voice the supreme leader of the “Black Banner Army.”
Ni no Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom was the most recent installment in the game franchise, releasing in 2018 to critical acclaim on the PS4 and PC. The sequel also recently received some new DLC in the form of ‘The Tale of a Timeless Tome.’ The DLC is priced at $14.99 but can be purchased with the title’s previous DLC “The Lair of the Lost Lord” for $19.99 as part of the game’s season pass.
The Ni no Kuni movie will be released in Japan this summer. No western release has been announced as of yet.
Watch the trailer below:
