While The boy and the heron originally announced as Hayao Miyazaki‘s last movie, that was just announced is no longer the case. In 2017, Studio Ghibli announced that Miyazaki was working on a new movie titled The Boy and the Heron, also known as How Do You Live? in Japan and this would be his last film before retirement. Although Miyazaki has announced plans to retire before, Miyazaki’s age has been a notable factor in The Boy and the Heron’s long production cycle, and with the film aiming to give his grandchildren something to remember him by, it looks like Miyazaki will finally retire. .
That said, it seems like it didn’t work out and The Boy and the Heron will no longer be Hayao Miyazaki’s last film. According to Studio Ghibli vice president Junichi Nishioka, although Miyazaki will no longer make animated films, he still plans to continue composing and is thinking of new ideas. At this year’s TIFF, Ghibli Vice President Junichi Nishioka confirmed that The Boy and the Heron may not be Miyazaki’s last film. According to a Tweet by film journalist Eli Glasner, “Exciting news for Hayao Miyazaki fans. Studio Ghibli vice president Junichi Nishioka told us that The Boy and the Heron was not Miyazaki’s last film and that he came to the office with new ideas.” Considering how often Miyazaki abandons retirement plans, this isn’t surprising, and something like this could end up being great for Studio Ghibli going forward.
Miyazaki went to the office to think of new ideas
While it may seem surprising that Hayao Miyazaki won’t be retiring with The Boy and the Heron, this isn’t the first time he’s returned to a planned retirement. Miyazaki first said he was retiring in 1998 before making Spirited Away, and though he also planned to retire in 2005, he returned to work after his disappointment with Tales from Earthsea. Miyazaki also intended to retire with 2013’s The Wind Rises, and even that didn’t work out, so it’s not surprising that The Boy and the Heron won’t be his last, even if when he was expected to work at a reduced capacity. move forward.
Why Hayao Miyazaki’s retirement is a good thing for Studio Ghibli
One of the biggest takeaways from Hayao Miyazaki no longer intending to retire is that his return could be a great one for Studio Ghibli. Notably, Studio Ghibli has produced very little content over the past decade thanks to Miyazaki’s earlier retirement plans with The Wind Rises, and not only have many of its employees left Studio Ponoc but its last film. They, Earwig and the Witch, were also heavily criticized. fans and critics alike for its story and animation. With Miyazaki no longer retired, he can help bring back works that capture some of Studio Ghibli’s old appeal, and that will be better for them.
As for whether Hayao Miyazaki can do it with reduced capacity, his past does more than support the idea. Miyazaki didn’t direct Whisper of the Heart, The Secret World of Arrietty or From Up on Poppy Hil, but each film captures the heart of Studio Ghibli’s best works, so even if Miyazaki doesn’t move on director, just having him as a text director would be enough to create incredible films. It is not clear when Hayao MiyazakiHis next film can be expected, but at least, it’s nice to know that more can be expected from him after that. The boy and the herondespite previous statements to the contrary.
Source: Anime News Network, IndieWire, Crunchyroll, Hidden Remote.