A heartwarming and lushly animated retelling of the beloved fairytale, The Little Mermaid comes Ponyo which is available on Blu-ray and DVD today.

Release Date: March 2, 2010
Rating: G
Running Time: 103 Minutes

Presented by legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki and featuring the exquisitely hand-drawn animation that has won Miyazaki worldwide acclaim, Ponyo transports audiences into an enchanting dreamscape where anything seems possible. Inspired by the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale “The Little Mermaid” also incorporates a very contemporary concern for nature. Hayao Miyazaki’s Ponyo is packed with never-before- seen bonus features. The Ponyo Blu-ray and DVD brings audiences a breathtaking introduction to the world of global animation for children and adults, making it a perfect holiday gift for the whole family.

Miyazaki creates a bold, imaginative vision of a magical world from a child’s point of view. The first film from Miyazaki to be made available on Blu-ray, Ponyo brims with color and energy on a stunning journey into a child’s inner life. With a story that families can enjoy together, the film’s star-studded voice cast includes Cate Blanchett (Elizabeth, Babel), Matt Damon (The Bourne Ultimatum), Tina Fey (“30 Rock”), Liam Neeson (The Chronicles of Narnia), Cloris Leachman (Castle in the Sky), Betty White (“The Golden Girls”), comedian Lily Tomlin and introduces Noah Lindsey Cyrus (as Ponyo) and Frankie Jonas (as Sosuke).

Ponyo proves to be quite a delight to watch for the whole family. There’s magic and lots adventure which has been carefully thought out and planned. Every character will grab your attention and warm your heart. You may be surprised with how well you connect with each one. This sweet loosely based take on The Little Mermaid is so beautiful and so funny…it is very well written and seeing what is on screen just makes the story even more incredible! There are messages about love, achieving goals for yourself, and respecting nature and viewers will come to appreciate each message all the more with these lovable characters and this beautiful world that has been created. The visuals are astounding under the sea and above ground. After viewing Ponyo, it is no wonder why director, Hayao Miyazaki is an Academy Award winner! This is definitely a must see.

Bonus Features

Meet Ponyo – This feature takes viewers behind the scenes into the making of Ponyo. The executive producers of the English version of Ponyo sit down to discuss collaborating with each other, the importance of casting (as viewers see glimpses of the cast members recording in the studio), how incredible M’s vision is, and the significance of hand drawn animation. A short clip of the original version of Ponyo was shown as well. Unfortunately this feature is quite short and does not go into much detail about anything that is discussed. This is a very broad look into the making of the film. Though it seems more is shared on the Blu-ray so viewers, invest in a Blu-ray player to get the most out of this fascinating tale!

Bonus Features Available on 2 Disc Combo Pack (Blu-ray + DVD) :

* The World of Ghibli – “Enter the Lands” allows fans to immerse themselves in the amazing worlds from each film created by legendary filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki in this multi-layered interactive experience. “Behind the Studio” is unprecedented access to all the background, inspiration and process behind he making of Ponyo and the inner workings of Studio Ghibli through a series of documentaries. They include all new interviews with Hayao Miyazaki, and composer Joe Hisaishi.

* Storyboard Presentation of Ponyo

Ponyo is available on Blu-ray & DVD now. Also available on DVD:

Castle in the Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service, and My Neighbor Totoro