We knew the hit anime movie Belle was coming to UK and US in early 2022, and now we have an exact date. The beautiful animated movie will release in British and Irish theatres on February 4, 2022.
Anime Limited, the distributor of the science fiction movie for the UK and Ireland, made the announcement in a press release. The latest film from Mamoru Hosoda, acclaimed director of Digimon, Wolf Children, and Mirai, Belle has enjoyed a warm reception from film festivals around the world previous to getting global distribution. Before coming out in Japan, the picture had its world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival, where it received a standing ovation.
Mamoru wrote as well as directed, through Studio Chizu, the production company he co-founded with producer Yuichiro Saito. This is the fourth project to come from the outfit, and the second to get a wide theatrical release after Mirai in 2018. Mirai would go on to become the first non-Studio Ghibli made anime flick to be nominated for the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. Could Belle do the same? We’ll have to wait and see.
You can check out the dubbed trailer below – screenings will be available in dubbed or subbed, check your local listings for more.
The official synopsis reads: “Suzu is a 17-year-old high school student living in a rural village with her father. For years, she has only been a shadow of herself. One day, she enters ‘U’, a virtual world of 5 billion members on the Internet. There, she is not Suzu anymore but Belle, a world-famous singer. She soon meets with a mysterious creature. Together, they embark on a journey of adventures, challenges and love, in their quest to become who they truly are.”
Our Emma-Jane Betts reviewed the film at London Film Festival 2021, calling it “a touching story full of charm and imagination”. US fans do get a head start, with the film being available there for January 14.
Belle releases in the UK on February 4, 2022. Check out the official website for further tickets information.