DON’T say goodbye to Hayao Miyazaki yet, as the 82-year-old animator is not about to leave the director’s chair of Japan’s Studio Ghibli.
Studio Ghibli executive Junichi Nishioka revealed to CBC News on the red carpet at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) that the renowned director has no plans yet to retire, and is even working on a new project.
“Other people say that this might be his last film, but he doesn’t feel that way at all. He is currently working on ideas for a new film,” Nishioka said through a translator.
Miyazaki always comes to his office to work on the new film, Nishioka added.
“This time, he’s not going to announce his retirement at all. He’s continuing working just as he has always done,” he said.
Miyazaki’s retirement news is no longer new to many fans of Studio Ghibli films.
The director has announced his retirement multiple times in the past, the latest in 2013 after the release of his animated historical film The Wind Rises.
But a decade later, Miyazaki released his latest film The Boy and the Heron, which had its international premiere at the 2023 TIFF.
The Boy and the Heron was screened at the TIFF last week, the first animated film to become the opening movie at the festival.
When it was reported that the film would probably be Miyazaki’s last film, the news generated memes and comic reactions from many fans, who took it with a grain of salt.
The Boy and the Heron
Set during the Pacific War, The Boy and the Heron follows a boy named Mahito who lost his mother in a fire. When he and his father move to the countryside to start anew, Mahito meets a talking heron that claims that his mother is still alive.
The heron says that to save her, the boy must enter a tower, which eventually leads him to an unknown magical world.
The film’s one-minute trailer released last week showed Mahito encountering various animals such as fish and frogs and white floating creatures.
A voice can be heard telling Mahito, “Please, join us.”
“Where death comes to an end, life finds a new beginning,” the trailer read.
Miyazaki’s newest feature film will be released in North American theaters on December 8.
Previous works
Miyazaki’s films have been popular among cinephiles, particularly to the new generation, probably because of its relatable and unconventional themes.
Among his iconic works are Howl’s Moving Castle, Castle in the Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Ponyo, and My Neighbor Totoro.
Howl’s Moving Castle is a 2004 film that follows a teenager named Sophie who transforms into an elderly woman and meets a wizard named Howl who lives in a magical flying castle.
Castle in the Sky is a 1986 movie about a young miner and a mysterious girl who go on a journey to find a long-lost island that is said to house great riches.
Meanwhile, the 1989 film Kiki’s Delivery Service tells the story of a young witch who is having a dilemma about making new friends after she left her home to practice her craft.
Another Miyazaki film about friendship is Ponyo, which centers on a five-year-old boy who befriends a goldfish princess who wants to transform into a human.
My Neighbor Totoro, on the other hand, is about two young sisters who become friends with mystical creatures as they spend their summer in the countryside in Japan.
All these films, including The Wind Rises, are available on Netflix.
