Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke Is Coming to IMAX in 4K

When I first saw Hayao Miyazaki’s Princess Mononoke in the theater, I was sitting in front of a young family who had come to the film no doubt because it was a “cartoon.” Or perhaps they were familiar with Miyazaki because of My Neighbor Totoro. But with its dark, turbulent story about the conflict between man and nature, Princess Mononoke is a very far cry from My Neighbor Totoro, and I could practically feel the parents behind me tense up at the scenes of war and dismemberment.

Make no mistake, Princess Mononoke is the darkest and most violent film in Miyazaki’s oeuvre, but it also contains some of his most majestic and awe-inspiring visuals, including sweeping landscapes, otherworldly creatures, and apocalyptic destruction. And when those visuals are paired with Joe Hisaishi’s stirring soundtrack, the result is a truly epic experience that sticks with you long after the credits have stopped rolling.

And it’s about to get even more epic later this month, when GKIDS releases a new 4K restoration of the film that will be shown exclusively in IMAX theaters. Unfortunately for me, it doesn’t look like there will be any IMAX screenings near Lincoln or Omaha when the film opens on March 26, but you should definitely check for any screenings in your area.