Over the last 70 years, we’ve seen many versions ofLewis Carroll’sAlice’s Adventures In Wonderlandon our screens. There are always new ways toexperience a timeless classic, and Japan is bringing a different take on the story in anime form. TitledDive in Wonderland, the new movie is set to debut this summer and, to tease it, P.A. Works decided to reveal a slate of character looks along with a promotional video. Theanime movieis yet to get a release date on this side of the world.
The images reveal the character designs ofDive in Wonderlandby artistsKosuke KawazuraandMio Fujishina. In them, we can see some pretty iconic characters like the White Rabbit — albeit a lot more technological with a smartphone in hand, tablet and smartwatch — the purple (but not striped) Cheshire Cat, the Mad Hatter, The Queen of Hearts and many others. The visuals make it clear thatDive in Wonderlandwill very much take place in the modern world,so it will be interestingto see how the movie mixesthose elements into the story.
Dive in Wonderlandis directed byToshiya Shinohara, who helmed severalInuYashamovies andLupin III: Crisis in Tokyo. The screenplay is byYuko Kakihara, who has recently penned episodes of hugely popular anime series likeDragon Ball DAIMAandThe Apothecary Diaries. Although this is the first time that the Lewis Carroll creation is shaped into an anime movie, Japan previously adapted it into a 52-episode anime titledFushigi no Kuni no Alicethat debuted in 1983. It adapted both the original story and the sequelThrough The Looking Glass.
‘Alice In Wonderland’ Is A Timeless Classic
Despite the many adaptations, 1951’sAlice in Wonderlandis still widely regarded as thedefinitive adaptation of the story. The 2D animated movie byDisneypopularized the story and its characters, and it was also the title that made theMickey Mousestudio kick off its never-ending slate oflive-action adaptationsof its classics. Back in 2010, theTim Burton-directedAlice in Wonderlandmade over a billion dollars at the worldwide box office, proving once and for all that the story remains as timeless as ever.
The voice cast ofDive in Wonderlandwill featureNanoka Hara(Suzume),Maika Pugh(Cells At Work!),Mayu Matsuoka(Sylvanian Families: The Movie),Koji Yamamoto(Shin Ultraman),Norito Yashima(Kamen Rider Revice: Battle Familia) andTakahiro Yamamoto(Persona 4 Golden).
The PSA released with the posters doesn’t really provide a sneak peek of the movie, but it’s fun to see theAlice in Wonderlandcharacters telling moviegoers to respect each other inside movie theaters. You can check out the promotional video below (with English title cards).
Dive in Wonderlandpremieres in Japan on August 29. An international release date is yet to be announced.
