Studio Ponoc’s ‘The Imaginary’ Gets First English Netflix Trailer

Netflix has unveiled its first trailer for the hotly anticipated The Imaginary, the first film to be released as part of the streamer’s exclusive streaming deal with Japanese producer Studio Ponoc. The film will debut on Netflix worldwide, bar Japan, on July 5.

Described as “an unforgettable adventure of love, loss, and the healing power of imagination,” the film is adapted from the novel of the same name written by A.F. Harrold and illustrated by Emily Gravett. It follows the story of Amanda and her imaginary companion, Rudger, a boy no one can see imagined by Amanda to share her make-believe fantasies. But when Rudger, suddenly alone, arrives at The Town of Imaginaries, where forgotten Imaginaries live and find work, he faces a mysterious threat.

The Imaginary is directed by Yoshiyuki Momose, a Studio Ghibli veteran who storyboarded, animated, and served other roles on films such as Grave of the Fireflies, Porco Rosso, Princess Mononoke, and Spirited Away. Momose also directed the “Life Ain’t Gonna Lose” segment in Ponoc’s anthology film Modest Heroes, as well as the studio’s official Olympics short Tomorrow’s Leaves. He directed the feature NiNoKuni released in 2019.

Studio Ponoc was established in 2015 by former Studio Ghibli producer Yoshiaki Nishimura, a two-time Oscar-nominated producer for The Tale of the Princess Kaguya and When Marnie Was There.

The English dub of the The Imaginary includes Louie Rudge-Buchanan, Evie Kiszel, Hayley Atwell, Sky Katz, Jeremy Swift, Kal Penn, LeVar Burton, Jane Singer, Ruby Barnhill, Roger Craig Smith, Courtenay Taylor, Miles Nibbe, Ian James Corlett, A.F. Harrold, Cassandra Lee Morris, Colleen O’Shaughnessey, Christopher Swindle, Fred Tatasciore, and Kari Wahlgren.