'Ghiblies: Episode 2' Clip: A Studio Ghibli Short Comes To U.S. Theaters For The First Time Ever

In celebration of its 15th anniversary, Spirited Away is headed back into theaters for a very limited run next month. And while you're probably familiar with that Studio Ghibli classic already, it'll be bringing with it something you've probably never seen before. Playing after Spirited Away will be Ghiblies: Episode 2, a Studio Ghibli short film that's never been released in North America.

Head below to check out a Ghiblies: Episode 2 clip, and get all details on its U.S. theatrical release with Spirited Away. 

[via IndieWire]

Ghiblies: Episode 2 is sort of a send-up of Studio Ghibli itself. The 25-minute collection of vignettes follows the day-to-day adventures of a bunch of people who work at a Ghibli-like animation studio. In the clip above, several of them visit a hole-in-the-wall curry joint to try out an extra-hot dish. It's silly, it's cute, it's utterly charming, and of course it's all gorgeously animated.

While Ghiblies: Episode 2 was released in 2002 in Japan, for whatever reason it's never played before in the U.S. Oh, and before you ask, yes, there is a Ghiblies: Episode 1, a shorter collection of vignettes released in 2000. But these films don't appear to be heavily serialized, so you can probably just dive right into Episode 2 without worrying about what you've missed.

The short film will be playing as a sort of double feature with Spirited Away's 15th anniversary presentation. Earlier this month, Fathom Events announced it would put the film back into 400 theaters across the country for a two-night engagement on Sunday, December 4 and Monday, December 5. But apparently, demand has been so high that Fathom Events has now added a third date, Thursday, December 8. Click on over to Fathom Events for more info and keep an eye out to make sure you're going to the version you want — the December 4 and 8 screenings are dubbed in English, while the December 5 one is subtitled in English.