Studio Ghibli’s Earwig and the Witch English Cast Led by Richard E. Grant

December 15, 2020

Earwig and the Witch Sets English Dub Cast Led by Richard E. Grant

GKIDS has announced the official English Dub voice cast for Studio Ghibli’s newest animated and first-ever CG film Earwig and the Witch. It includes the voices of Oscar-nominated actor Richard E. Grant, Grammy winner Kacey Musgraves and Dan Stevens, who will be dubbing the roles of the Mandrake, Earwig’s mother and Thomas, respectively. In addition, Musgraves has also signed on to perform the film’s English-language theme song titled, “Don’t Disturb Me.”

Also joining the English voice cast are Taylor Paige Henderson as Earwig, Pandora Colin as Matron, Alex Cartañá as Assistant Matron, JB Blanc as Mr. Jenkins, Logan Hannan as Custard, Summer Jenkins as Phyllis, Vivienne Rutherford as Sally, Tom Bromhead as Cook, Eva Kaminsky as Assistant Cook, and Vanessa Marshall as Bella Yaga.

Earwig and the Witch (or Aya and the Witch) will be based on the 2011 children’s novel of the same name which was written by the late British author Diana Wynne Jones, who has also written the source novel for Studio Ghibli’s popular fantasy film Howl’s Moving Castle. The novel follows the story of a smart orphan girl named Earwig as she gets adopted by a woman named Bella Yaga, who turns out to be a cruel witch that takes her to live in a haunted house.

Pick up a copy of the book here!

In the film, Not every orphan would love living at St. Morwald’s Home for Children, but Earwig does. She gets whatever she wants, whenever she wants it, and it’s been that way since she was dropped on the orphanage doorstep as a baby. But all that changes the day Bella Yaga and the Mandrake come to St. Morwald’s, disguised as foster parents. Earwig is whisked off to their mysterious house full of invisible rooms, potions, and spell books, with magic around every corner. Most children would run in terror from a house like that . . . but not Earwig. Using her own cleverness—with a lot of help from a talking cat—she decides to show the witch who’s boss.

Earwig and the Witch is directed by Goro Miyazaki, the son of Spirited Away director Hayao Miyazaki, who is also being credited with the planning of the film. It is a co-production by Studio Ghibli, NHK, and NEP.

GKID is planning to release the film in U.S. theaters in early 2021, just in time for it to qualify for awards consideration.