The Untold Legal Saga: The Shocking Reason Behind the Delayed Release of this Studio Ghibli Masterpiece

Highlights

The US release of Studio Ghibli's film, Tales from Earthsea, faced substantial delays in 2010 due to a legal dispute with the Earthsea miniseries broadcasted by the Sci-Fi Channel in 2004.

The film garnered a blend of positive and negative reviews, with commendations for its animation and reproaches for its storytelling and deviations from the original books.

Despite having a limited theatrical run, Tales from Earthsea failed to achieve success at the box office, proving to be a financial letdown for Disney.

Before we delve into this article, let's pause for a moment and acknowledge something: We are fortunate enough to live in a time when the release of a blockbuster anime film is virtually guaranteed. Currently, Studio Ghibli's upcoming masterpiece - The Boy and the Heron - is scheduled for a wide release across the US, including IMAX screenings. In the 90s, anime enthusiasts would consider themselves lucky if they even got the chance to see a Studio Ghibli film in American theaters, and even in the 2010s, most anime movies had very limited releases.

Thanks to the exponential growth of anime's popularity as a significant box office contender, anime films that achieve even moderate success in Japan are now guaranteed at least a one-night Fathom Event release. However, during Walt Disney Studios' initial efforts to dub and distribute Studio Ghibli's catalog, they managed to keep up with the film's Japanese release dates for the most part. That is, until they encountered a legal issue with a particular movie that prevented its distribution in the United States for several years.

What is the Earthsea Series?

The Earthsea series, written by American author Ursula K. Le Guin, is a renowned collection of fantasy books. Set in the fictional archipelago of Earthsea, the stories delve into the realms of wizards, dragons, and ancient magic. Themes of power, balance, duality, and coming-of-age are intricately woven throughout the tales.

Commencing with the novel A Wizard of Earthsea in 1968, the series introduced readers to Ged, a young boy gifted with natural magical abilities. As Ged grapples with his powers, he must confront the unintended darkness he has released. The Earthsea cycle is comprised of the following:

A Wizard of Earthsea (1968)

The Tombs of Atuan (1970)

The Farthest Shore (1972)Tehanu: The Last Book of Earthsea (1990)

The Other Wind (2001)

In addition to her other works, Le Guin also penned a compilation of short stories called Tales from Earthsea (2001), which delves further into the world and characters. Ursula K. Le Guin's Earthsea series receives acclaim for its profoundness, poetic writing style, and intricate exploration of intricate themes, establishing it as a cornerstone of contemporary fantasy literature. The series even attracted the attention of a fledgling filmmaker named Hayao Miyazaki, who expressed interest in adapting the books into a film.

Unfamiliar with the director, she initially declined. However, as Miyazaki's reputation grew and his films showcased his versatility and depth, Le Guin decided to grant him the rights to her books. She even suggested a vague time period to provide them with creative freedom. Ultimately, Miyazaki would not direct the film, and instead, it became the directorial debut of his son, Goro Miyazaki, in a situation Le Guin claims left Hayao feeling "tricked."

What is Tales from Earthsea?

The movie Tales from Earthsea, released in 2006, is the final result of Studio Ghibli's adaptation. Loosely based on various plots and characters from the Earthsea series, particularly drawing from The Farthest Shore and Tehanu, the film left Ursula K. Le Guin with mixed feelings. While she admired its visual beauty, she felt that the deeper philosophy of her books was not fully captured.

Opinions of both critics and audiences were divided concerning the film. Many praised the quality of the animation, but felt that the story lacked the depth and subtlety found in Le Guin's novels. Additionally, the film faced criticism for its pacing and for being a loose adaptation, combining multiple book plots into one (a common practice, but one that must be approached with caution to prevent the screenplay from feeling rushed).

Despite the mixed reception, Tales from Earthsea was a commercial success in Japan. It topped the Japanese box office and was one of the highest-grossing films in Japan in 2006. The same could not be said for America. While the film was able to be released shortly after its Japanese premier in some European countries, Americans would have to wait longer to see it. Like...a LOT longer.

The Problem of the Sci-Fi Channel Earthsea Series

The Earthsea miniseries, also known as Legend of Earthsea, was broadcasted by the Sci-Fi Channel (now Syfy) in December 2004. This miniseries is a loose adaptation of Ursula K Le Guin's series, drawing elements primarily from the first two books: A Wizard of Earthsea and The Tombs of Atuan. It is worth mentioning that although Goro Miyazaki's film didn't completely satisfy Le Guin, she did appreciate some of its evident artistic merits. It is noteworthy that she watched this adaptation before any other versions.

She strongly disliked this adaptation and had several issues with it, including the whitewashing of characters, oversimplification of the story, and significant deviations from her original narrative. Her disappointment with the miniseries was expressed through various articles and on her official website. It is important to note that she only wrote about her response to Miyazaki's film to clarify a misunderstood story.

Both critics and viewers had mixed reviews for the Earthsea miniseries. While some appreciated the effort to bring Le Guin's world to life, others were critical of the adaptation. Typically, a poorly received adaptation like this would provide room for improvement in future projects, but unfortunately, the Sci-Fi Channel asserted their exclusivity in producing further adaptations.

The Dreaded "No Compete" Clause

Despite the mixed reception of Tales from Earthsea, Studio Ghibli fans in America were eagerly anticipating its release. However, a report from Variety dashed their hopes when it revealed that they would have to wait a long time to watch it. This was because Tales From Earthsea was adapted from the same Ursula K. Le Guin fantasy novel that inspired the Sci Fi Channel’s Earthsea miniseries. As a result, the film could not be released in the U.S. until the rights of the miniseries expired. Le Guin's son, Theo, explained that Hallmark Entertainment had granted a rights reversion in 2004, allowing Studio Ghibli to produce the animated theatrical release under the condition that it would not be released in the U.S. until December 2008.

Disney finally released the movie in cinemas on August 13, 2010, after a prolonged period. However, it only played for three weeks on a limited number of screens before being taken down. The movie only managed to gross a disappointing $48,461 in America. This decision left fans puzzled as to why Disney would have such a short theatrical release after the long wait. Answerman Brian Hanson from Anime News Network provided an explanation stating that giving any movie a genuine theatrical release is costly, even for one shown in just five theaters. The expenses include developing film prints, creating movie trailers, and promoting them. However, once the film is released on DVD and Blu-Ray, the profits start rolling in.

Despite my personal thoughts on the movie, Tales from Earthsea has received extremely negative reviews since it was released four years ago. Its reception in other foreign markets, including the UK, was similarly disappointing, with critics dismissing it and it underperforming at the box office. Given these circumstances, it is unlikely that Disney had high expectations for Earthsea's success in theaters in 2010. Their best chance of making a profit from the film was to release it on DVD and Blu Ray as quickly as possible.

However, Studio Ghibli now requires that their newest films be screened in theaters before being released on DVD. This meant that Disney was contractually obligated to invest time and money in promoting a film that was unlikely to find an audience. Ultimately, they suffered losses on it, quickly released it, and abandoned it three weeks later.

Content could have kept going if the limited theatrical run had been a surprise success. However, it was not. The key indicator for the success of films in limited release is not the total box office for the weekend, but rather the per-theater average. This represents how much money the film made for each individual theater. During its first weekend, Tales from Earthsea earned a little over $4,000. On its second weekend, it earned less than $2,000 (despite being shown on the same number of screens), and less than $600 on its third weekend.

At this point, it can be considered a lost cause. Even with Disney's influence and power in the movie industry, they understand when it's time to abandon a film that will not generate enough revenue.

Additionally, it should be acknowledged that due to the movie's prolonged release overseas, numerous fans resorted to unauthorized methods of accessing and viewing it (and subsequently shared their disappointment with its quality over the years). Therefore, while this proved to be a source of frustration, it is probable that even if the Sci-Fi Channel had not hindered the earlier arrival of the movie in America, its subpar quality would have inevitably led to its failure. Catch Tales of Earthsea on Max now.