Today’s movie of the day is “Howl’s Moving Castle,” a Japanese animated film by Hayao Miyazaki. 

“Howl’s Moving Castle” is based on Diana Wynne Jones’ 1986 novel of the same name. It was written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. Howl’s Moving Castle is a Japanese animated fantasy film. Jean Simmons, Emily Mortimer, Lauren Bacall, Christian Bale, Josh Hutcherson, and Billy Crystal starred in the Japanese dub – while the English dub version was produced by Toshio Suzuki, animated by Studio Ghibli, and distributed by Toho Pictures.

Brief Synopsis

When Sophie, the eldest of three sisters and a milliner, meets Howl on the way to visit her sister Lettie, who has been transformed into a 90-year-old woman by the Witch of the Waste, she leaves home and sets out on a journey to break the curse.

As Sophie’s nation battles a neighboring kingdom looking for their missing prince, she finds herself at the center of the war. Despite Howl’s initial reluctance, the King orders him to fight, but Howl sends Sophie to tell him that he is too cowardly to fight. Sophie receives a magical ring from him before he leaves her to Calcifer.

The magical ring leads Sophie to the past, where she sees a young Howl catching a falling star and giving it to Calcifer. Sophie calls for them to find her there, and she teleports away. She returns to the present, encounters Howl, and the Witch reunites them, giving Calcifer back to Howl. Sophie’s curse gets broken, but her hair remains white.

The Movie’s Success

It’s a top-grossing Japanese film with a worldwide gross of $236 million.