Hayao Miyazaki Turned Down Hollywood But Allowed Kabuki Version Of NausicaÃ¤

Donâ€™t expect a Hollywood version of NausicaÃ¤. But as NHK reports, Hayao Miyazaki has turned down that offer. But you can look forward to a kabuki adaptation this December.

Keiko Niwa, who has written several Ghibli films, is penning the script.

In the past few years, several well-known manga, including One Piece, have been adapted into kabuki plays. A live-action version of NausicaÃ¤, however, seemed unlikely.

â€œFor Miyazaki, out of all the various works heâ€™s done, NausicaÃ¤ is the most important,â€ said Studio Ghibli producer Toshi Suzuki at a press conference for the kabuki version (via Jiji Press).

The NausicaÃ¤ of the Valley of the Wind manga ran from 1982 and 1994. An feature animated version was released in 1984.Â

Talks about a kabuki version of NausicaÃ¤ began several years back. â€œI thought he was going to be put off by it,â€ Suzuki said. â€œThere had been various requests to do a live-action version, even from Hollywood. He turned them all down.â€

Knowing how important NausicaÃ¤ is for Miyazaki, Suzuki was willing to offer Princess Mononoke, instead, thinking that it would be suitable for kabuki. Previously, Studio Ghibli okayed a Princess Mononoke stage version that debuted in London in 2013.

But this time, Miyazaki gave the green light for NausicaÃ¤. However, he had two stipulations. â€œFirst, he said that he didnâ€™t want the title of NausicaÃ¤ changed,â€ said Suzuki. â€œThatâ€™s what he said. Second, he would not offer assistance to press events and whatnot.â€

The kabuki version will run from December 6 to 25 in Tokyo.Â