UPDATED, 4:15 p.m.: Studio Ghibli set the internet abuzz on Thursday when it hinted at a collaboration with Lucasfilm. And now, Disney+ has given the project a name — that being Zen – Grogu and Dust Bunnies.
Zen is an original, animated short directed for the streaming service by Katsuya Kondo, which will be released this Saturday, November 12, as both Disney+ and its acclaimed Star Wars series The Mandalorian celebrate their third anniversary. The film’s protagonist is Grogu, the breakout Mandalorian character known to many as Baby Yoda.
The hand-drawn piece will feature music by the show’s Oscar- and Emmy-winning composer, Ludwig Göransson, who most recently penned the score for Marvel’s Black Panther: Wakanda Forever.
Take a look at the poster for Zen – Grogu and Dust Bunnies below.
PREVIOUSLY, NOVEMBER 10: Studio Ghibli took to Twitter on Thursday to hint at a collaboration with Lucasfilm.
It’s not yet clear what the project is, what medium it’s in or who’s involved. The revered Japanese animation studio’s video post simply flashed its own logo alongside that of the famed Disney subsidiary, and the latter studio couldn’t be reached for comment this morning.
But the notion of something major stemming from the enigmatic message was given some weight when it was retweeted by Walt Disney Pictures’ President of Marketing Asad Ayaz, in a post which you can view below.
Founded in 1985 by filmmakers Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki, Studio Ghibli is the Oscar-winning company behind such classic films as My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, among many others. The company most recently released the Gorō Miyazaki-directed fantasy Earwig and the Witch, based on the novel of the same name by Diana Wynne Jones, back in 2020.
Lucasfilm is, of course, the iconic production company founded by George Lucas in 1971, which is best known for its work on the Star Wars and Indiana Jones franchises. The company notably partnered with seven anime studios just recently on its anthology series Star Wars: Visions. Other recent releases include the series Obi-Wan Kenobi and Andor.
Lucasfilm will release the series Willow, based on its classic 1988 film of the same name, on Disney+ on November 30. Also coming up for the company is the fifth Indiana Jones film, directed by James Mangold, which is slated for release on June 30, 2023.
Studio Ghibli’s Twitter tease, and Ayaz’ retweet, can be viewed below.