Choice between English dub or subtitles at limited February 21 release

Geoffrey Wexler, the head of the international division at Studio Ghibli, announced at the Toronto International Film Festival on Wednesday that Hayao Miyazaki's The Wind Rises film will open in North America on February 21. In addition, audiences can choose between seeing the film with an English dub or with English subtitles. The February 21 opening will be a limited release, before expanding wider in subsequent weeks.

Before the February opening, Disney's Touchstone Pictures will screen the film with subtitles in both New York and Los Angeles for an Oscar-qualifying run from November 8 to 14.

The story centers on Jirō Horikoshi (played by Evangelion director Hideaki Anno), the designer of Japan's famed Mitsubishi A6M Zero fighter plane of World War II. Studio Ghibli International announced that it will produce the English-language dub with producer Frank Marshall ( From Up on Poppy Hill, The Secret World of Arrietty, Ponyo ). Gary Rydstrom ( From Up on Poppy Hill, The Secret World of Arrietty, Tales from Earthsea ) is directing the voice cast which has yet to be announced.

Studio Ghibli announced last week that Miyazaki is retiring from making feature films; The Wind Rises is Miyazaki's 11th and final feature film.

After playing at the Venice International Film Festival and the Toronto International Film Festival, the film will make its United States debut at the 51st New York Film Festival between September 27 and October 13.

Source: Variety