Spotlight on Studio Ghibli: Castle in the Sky

Founded in 1985 by directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata and producer Toshio Suzuki, Japan’s Studio Ghibli has produced some of the most renowned animated films of all time. Almost always told from the wondrous point of view of an itinerant child, a Ghibli film infuses its dazzling vistas, fantastical folklore, and spectacular adventures with deeply-felt emotions and adult concerns. A legend in his home country, Miyazaki has helmed Ghibli’s biggest hits, along the way becoming an international icon of visionary filmmaking whose mind-bending spectacles enthrall audiences of all ages.

Mizayaki’s debut film for Studio Ghibli, Castle in the Sky, also marks his first collaboration with composer Joe Hisaishi, who has scored every Miyazaki film since. Inspired by a tale from Gulliver’s Travels, Miyazaki uses the conceit of a floating castle that remains aloft only because it remains hidden from the world by a cloud to explore the origins of religious and spiritual mythology. When young Sheeta, on the run from sinister soldiers, learns of her familial connection to the castle, her life changes forever. Teeming with sky pirates, airborne steamships, horticultural robots, and enchanted crystals, Castle in the Sky delivers breathtaking thrills and eye-filling marvels.

Bing Theater | FAQs

$10 for the general public, $7 for LACMA members, seniors (62+), and students with valid ID | Tickets available Thursday, October 20 at 5 pm | Call 323 857-6010 or purchase online.

$5 for Film Independent, LACMA Film Club, and New York Times Film Club Members | Pre-sale tickets available Thursday, October 13 at 5 pm | Call 323 857-6010 or purchase online | Members of these groups will be required to show proof of membership when retrieving their tickets.