Japanese animation studio
Studio Chizu (スタジオ地図, Sutajio Chizu) is a Japanese animation studio based in Suginami, Tokyo, Japan. It was co-founded by Mamoru Hosoda and Yuichiro Saito in 2011.[1] Studio Chizu has won three Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year awards.[2][3] The image in their logo is a reference to Makoto Konno, the main character of the Hosoda-directed 2006 film The Girl Who Leapt Through Time.
History
Studio Chizu was founded by Yūichirō Saitō and Mamoru Hosoda, both of which had ties to animation studio Madhouse. Saitō had been with Madhouse since 1999,[4] and had co-produced The Girl Who Leapt Through Time, which Mamoru Hosoda directed. The aim of the studio was described by Saito as an "auteur's studio" for Hosoda,[5] who himself mentioned that creating Studio Chizu was necessary in order for him to make the films that he wanted to make.[6]
Studio Chizu co-produced its first feature film Wolf Children with Madhouse, which was released in 2012. It earned roughly $55 million[7] and won its first Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year.[2] In 2013, the studio was approached by a representative of French film company Gaumont, who wanted to work with Studio Chizu to distribute its films internationally.[5] This distribution partnership was announced in 2014.[8]
The studio went on to produce The Boy and the Beast, which was released in 2015 earning roughly $49 million[9] and winning for a second time the Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year.[3]
Studio Chizu produced Hosoda's next film, Mirai, in 2018 and received an Oscar nomination for Best Animated Feature.[10][11] This film also won the studio its third Japan Academy Prize for Animation of the Year in March 2019.[12][13] The next film Belle, written and directed by Mamoru Hosoda, premiered on July 15, 2021 at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival,[14] where it was well-received by critics with a standing ovation that lasted 14 minutes.[15] It was theatrically released in Japan on July 16, 2021.[16] It was theatrically released in the United States on January 14, 2022.[17] [18]
