March 29, 2025 - The new 4K revival of Studio Ghibli's iconic animated film "Princess Mononoke" is making a successful run in IMAX theaters across North America. GKIDS, which is distributing the film in North America, is celebrating the box office success of the re-release and emphasizing the value of Hayao Miyazaki's hand-drawn artistry in an era when technology is trying to replicate human creativity.
The revival of "Princess Mononoke," which was released in 1997, opens on 330 screens in IMAX starting March 26. According to GKIDS, the film has had a strong opening at the box office ahead of its official release on Friday, earning $1.2 million in preview screenings alone.
Read Also: Fast and Furious 11 Prequel Movie: Latest Movie News from Vin Diesel Post
“At a time when technology is trying to mirror humanity, we are thrilled to see audiences honor and celebrate the cinematic hand-drawn splendor of Studio Ghibli in a theatrical experience,” said Chance Husky, vice president of distribution at GKIDS, in a statement.
The announcement comes a day after OpenAI released its latest image generation technology, which allows users to transform their personal photos into Studio Ghibli-style animations. While the technology has gone viral, many artists and fans in the animation community see it as a challenge to the art of traditional animation.
Hayao Miyazaki has been a vocal critic of AI-generated animation in the past, calling it “an insult to life” at a conference in 2016. “I would never want to incorporate this technology into my work,” he said bluntly.
Read Also: Pedro Pascal as Reed Richards in ‘Fantastic Four: First Steps’ - Hilarious Comments on Comics Canon
Miyazaki’s personal touch is crucial to Studio Ghibli’s animation process. Akihiko Yamashita, who served as a supervising animator on “Howl’s Moving Castle,” explained in an interview: “Miyazaki draws everything himself—from the storyboards to the layouts. If a key animator doesn’t like something he draws, he’ll fix it and redraw it in his own style. We don’t count how many drawings we do, but it’s a lot of work.”
In this context, the debate over AI technology has gained momentum. Hollywood actors and creatives have expressed concern about efforts by companies like OpenAI to weaken copyright protections.
In comments filed with the Trump administration’s Office of Science and Technology Policy this month, more than 400 artists criticized AI companies for lobbying for special exemptions to “exploit creative industries.”
The box office success of "Princess Mononoke" proves the enduring appeal of hand-drawn animation, even in this age of technology. GKIDS's success not only celebrates Studio Ghibli's artistic legacy, but also highlights the limitations of AI as a substitute for human creativity.