We began this year with Mamoru Hosoda’s latest anime film, BELLE, and our exclusive interview with Kylie McNeill, the English voice of Suzu/Belle. Hosoda gave us an exclusive interview during Animation is Film Festival 2021, in where he stated the follow about BELLE,

BELLE was first screened on July 15, 2021, at the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, where it received a 15-minute standing ovation. The film was released in theaters across Japan, earning a total of ¥6.53 billion at the box office and $1.8 million in the U.S. Initially Belle premiered at the Animation is Film Festival 2021, serving as the centerpiece film. Belle quickly gained popularity due to the vocal performances of artists Kaho Nakamura and Kylie McNeill (English dub), both who had never done any voice-over work prior. Additionally, anticipation for the film grew due to Hosoda’s art direction and artistic elements from Disney’s 1991 animated film, Beauty and the Beast.

When creating the virtual world of U, Hosoda sought out different artists, until he found Eric Wong’s work online. Highly impressed by Wong’s work, Hosoda’s team contacted him for the opportunity to work as the designer of the world of U . From U”s background and buildings to the U”s clouds and sky, Eric spent the COVID lockdown meticulously working on designs and renders for U. Watch our exclusive interview with Eric Wong and find out how he created U and much more!

To learn more about Eric Wong and his work, visit his official website at, http://www.ericwong.co.uk/

Want more BELLE content? Check our following BELLE article and Cast Interviews:

Interview with Kylie McNeil (Suzu / Belle) | Interview With Paul Castro Jr. (Dragon/Ryu) | Mamoru Hosoda’s BELLE | Review | BELLE premieres at Animation Is Film Festival 2021

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