Critically acclaimed Studio Ghibli was acquired by Nippon TV after co-founder Hayao Miyazaki’s son rejected a successor.
Undoubtedly one of the best and most iconic films Animation studio in history Studio Ghibli has a new owner The famous anime production company has been acquired by Nippon TV after a series of discussions about succession studio led to a rejection from Miyazaki’s son – here’s all fans need to know.
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Nippon TV acquired Studio Ghibli after Miyazaki’s son rejected a successor
On September 21, it was announced that the Nippon TV broadcast network had acquired a 42.3% stake in Studio Ghibli, which would make the critically acclaimed animation company the main subsidiary of the studio. NTV group.
Discussions surrounding Studio Ghibli’s future have been going on for several months (possibly even years behind closed doors) in response to co-founders Toshio Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki’s approaching end of their careers. their professional careers at the ages of 75 and 82 respectively.
In a statement released at an emergency press conference, as reported by Oricon, Suzuki shared that “for a long time, we have been struggling with the question of succession.”
It turns out that before being acquired by NTV, Studio Ghibli had asked Goro, Hayao Miyazaki’s son, “many times” to take on the role of company president.
However, the famous anime filmmaker’s eldest son, who also worked as animation director for the studio, refused to succeed him. father and noted that “It is difficult to shoulder the responsibility of Ghibli alone.”
“Goro Miyazaki himself firmly refused because he believed that it would be difficult for him to carry Ghibli alone and that the company’s future would be better left to others.”
Interestingly, the press release also notes that Hayao Miyazaki “also opposed the idea of his son Goro taking the helm.”
The reported final date for the acquisition is October 6, meaning anime fans can expect some exciting news to be shared about the studio’s next move before the end of 2023.
The agreement between NTV and Studio Ghibli will be a landmark moment for the entire anime industry. Fortunately, the acquisition will not negatively impact potential titles coming from Studio Ghibli.
“NTV will respect Studio Ghibli’s autonomy, and Studio Ghibli will continue to focus on animation production and the operations of the Ghibli Museum and Ghibli Park,” the statement noted.
Ghibli is responsible for four of the ten highest-grossing films in Japan; four films have won the Japanese Academy Award for Animated Feature of the Year and five feature films have been nominated for Academy Awards.
Ghibli’s highest-grossing films include Spirited Away with $395 million, Howl’s Moving Castle with $395 million. 237 million USD, Ponyo with 204 million USD and Princess Mononoke with 170 million USD.