It’s only September, but 2013 has already been quite the year for Studio Ghibli news. What with the critical success of Kaze Tachinu, jaw-dropping theatre adaptations, incoming movie Kaguya Hime no Monogatari and the last week’s announcement of Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement, we can’t remember a year like it. And now, just when we thought we couldn’t possibly squeeze in any more Ghibli goodness, we’ve received word that a new live-action fan film inspired by Princess Mononoke is in the works!

Dubbed “a fairytale of wondrous creatures in a world inspired by Studio Ghibli,” Wolf Girl is set 600 years after the events of Miyazaki’s masterpiece, Princess Mononoke. The legend of the forest princess has long been forgotten, but the forest spirits live on and are once again in need of a saviour, who this time comes in the form of a young city girl who has lost her way.

The film is being put together by a team of talented individuals from the UK, combining live action with puppetry and computer-generated special effects to recreate the magic of Ghibli’s original forest, not to mention produce some of the cutest Kodama forest spirits we’ve ever seen.

The team is turning to crowdfunding site Kickstarter in order to generate the funds required to make the production as professional and magical as possible, and is hoping to hit its goal of £29,000 (US$45,800) by September 29.

Naturally, this being a Kickstarter campaign, there are plenty of rewards for backers, besides, of course, the chance to see this project blossom into the full-length production that it deserves to be. Pledges of anything from £1 (US$1.60) to £5,000 are currently being accepted, with everything from copies of the finished film to a travel-and-accommodation-included trip to London to have dinner with the producers, so be sure to head over and give the team your support if you like the look of the group’s work so far.

▼ Kodama brought to life.

For more information about Wolf Girl, check out the project’s Kickstarter page, or visit the official website. Fingers crossed this one becomes a reality as we’re sure there are thousands of Ghibli fans out there who would absolutely love to see a modern-day Mononoke-inspired adventure on the big screen.

All images courtesy of Blue Soul Films