Studio Ghibli Legend Hayao Miyazaki Is Coming Out Of Retirement For One Final Movie
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Hayao Miyazaki, the legend behind some of Studio Ghibli’s most beloved movies, is coming out of retirement to direct one final movie.
The Japanese animator and filmmaker, 80, has sat at the helm of some eye-watering classics. His directing tenure kicked off with Castle in the Sky, moving onto the likes of My Neighbour Totoro, Porco Rosso (arguably his most underrated), Princess Mononoke, the Oscar-winning Spirited Away and Ponyo, among others. They’re all incredible.
Back in 2013, shortly after the release of The Wind Rises, Miyazaki announced his retirement from movies, wishing to continue his work at the Ghibli museum and developing a short film Boro the Caterpillar. Now, it’s time for the return of the king.
In a new interview with The New York Times, Miyazaki spoke briefly about his plans for How Do You Live?, based on the 1937 novel by Genzaburo Yoshino. He actually commenced work on the film five years ago, before he’d received the green light – then again, who’s going to say no?
The film is expected to follow a 15-year-old boy, Koperu, after he moves in with his uncle, where he learns about spiritual growth, bullying, poverty and the human experience.
When asked why he’s coming back, the director replied, ‘Because I wanted to.’
Earlier speaking to Slash Film, Miyazaki’s son Goro said he’d got so bored in retirement that he felt he ‘needed to create something in order to live, basically… [my mum has] come to accept the fact that he cannot stop creating, so she knows that, so she’ll be like, ‘Okay, if you’d rather create until the end of your life, then go to the studio, go to the office everyday’.’
Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki described the project as ‘fantasy on a grand scale’, but Miyazaki remained tight-lipped. ‘The title of your next film is How Do You Live? – will you give us the answer?’ the interviewer asked. ‘I am making this movie because I do not have the answer,’ he replied.
Back in 2017, Suzuki also revealed Miyazaki is making the new film for his grandson, as his way of saying, ‘Grandpa is moving on to the next world, but he’s leaving behind this film.’
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Topics: Film and TV, Anime, Now
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