Studio Ghibli (Howl's Moving Castle) has officially announced that it's next project will be Gedo Senki ("Gedo War History"), an adaptation of Ursula K. Le Guin's novel "A Wizard of Earthsea," the first book of the award-winning Earthsea cycle which includes "The Tombs of Atuan," "The Farthest Shore" and "Tehanu" reports Coming Soon.

"Wizard of Earthsea" centers on Ged, who was the greatest sorcerer in all Earthsea. He was once called Sparrowhawk, a reckless youth, hungry for power and knowledge, who tampered with long-held secrets and loosed a terrible shadow upon the world. It's the tale of his testing, how he mastered the mighty words of power, tamed an ancient dragon, and crossed death's threshold to restore the balance.

The film is directed by Hayao Miyazaki's son, Goro, and is scheduled for release July, 2006 in Japan.