Thumbelina (1978 film)

Thumbelina
Japanese theatrical release poster
Directed byYūgo Serikawa
Written byIkuko Ōyabu
Kōichi Tsunoda
Story byHans Christian Andersen
Based onThumbelina
by Hans Christian Andersen
Produced byTakeshi Ariga
Yoshio Takami
StarringSee voice cast
Edited byRyohichi Toba
Yutaka Chikura
Music byShunsuke Kikuchi
Production
company
Distributed byToei Company (Japan)
Turner Program Services (North America)
Release date
  • 18 March 1978 (1978-03-18) (Japan)
Running time
64 minutes
CountryJapan
LanguageJapanese
Box office¥647,51 million

Thumbelina (世界名作童話 おやゆび姫, Sekai Meisaku Dōwa: Oyayubi-hime; lit.'World Masterpiece Fairy Tales: Thumb Princess') is a 1978 Japanese anime fantasy film produced by Toei Animation and Tezuka Productions based on the fairy tale of the same name by Hans Christian Andersen. The film was first shown in Japan on 18 March 1978 in the Toei Manga Matsuri ('Toei Cartoon Festival'). The film sees "Father of Manga" Ozamu Tezuka as character designer and former Mushi Production's animator Kazuko Nakamura as assistant animation director upon Tezuka's recommendation.

It represents the second entry in Toei's World Masterpiece Fairy Tales film series, preceded by The Wild Swans (1977) and followed by Twelve Months (1980), Swan Lake (1981) and Aladdin and the Wonderful Lamp (1982). It is also the fourth Toei film to be based on Andersen's works, after The World of Hans Christian Andersen (1968), Hans Christian Andersen's The Little Mermaid (1975) and the already mentioned The Wild Swans.