Hayao Miyazaki, The Genius Animator Of Studio Ghibli, Is Stepping Out Of Retirement For Proposed New Anime Feature Film
The anime world collectively cried tears of sadness when Hayao Miyazaki, the beloved animator and director of Studio Ghibli, announced he would retire. Now the anime world is crying tears of joy as Miyazaki is confirmed to be coming out of retirement to work on a proposed new anime feature film.
According to a written article by Anime News Network, it reports that Hayao Miyazaki wants to return to making an anime feature film. The acclaimed anime director and animator made his intentions known during the airing of a special by Nippon Housou Kyoukai (NHK), a Japanese broadcasting corporation, titled Owaranai Hito Miyazaki Hayao which translates to The Man Who Is Not Done: Hayao Miyazaki.
For those who do not know, Hayao Miyazaki came out of retirement to work on a planned CG short titled Kemushi no Boro (Boro the Caterpillar) for the Studio Ghibli Museum. However, Miyazaki has made it known that he was not satisfied with the CG project as a short and proceeded to present a proposal to make the project a feature-length film this past August. During the proposal, Miyazaki said it would take him about five years to complete meaning he will be 80-years-old when the project ends. He did, however, claim it could be done by 2019 as he is taking into account that the 2020 Olympics will take place in Tokyo, Japan.
At this moment, the project has not received the a-okay or green light to move forward for a feature film. Despite this, Hayao Miyazaki is working on the animation work nevertheless. He is dedicated to creating storyboards for about 100 cuts of footage.
It is no surprise anime fans would be very happy that Hayao Miyazaki is coming out of retirement to work on a brand new anime feature film. He, along with Studio Ghibli, are known for creating some of the most beloved anime stories ever created through featured and short films. His plethora of work spans almost four decades starting with The Castle of Cagliostro in 1979 when Miyazaki was working with Toho. His first film under the Studio Ghibli banner would be Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. He would follow up with many other beloved movies such as Castle in the Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and the highly-acclaimed My Neighbor Totoro (in which a Totoro is the mascot for Studio Ghibli).
When it comes to anime presently, Hayao Miyazaki is known for directing two of the biggest anime films when it comes to pushing the limits and boundaries of said anime to the point of its popularity. Spirited Away came out in 2001 followed by Howl’s Moving Castle three years later. These two films opened doors for Studio Ghibli, especially with Disney. Along with Walt Disney Animation, Studio Ghibli was able to have theatrical releases of Ponyo and Arrietty in the west.
The last animated feature film Hayao Miyazaki has directed was The Wind Rises back in 2013. It was an animated historical drama film based on the life of Dr. Jiro Horikoshi who is known in Japanese history as the man who designed numerous Japanese fighter planes for World War II. The Wind Rises received numerous nominations and awards, a fitting way for Miyazaki to conclude his career as a director.
Well, we now know that Hayao Miyazaki has more to give us when it comes to anime. Though he is working on storyboards for the upcoming film project, he will also continue to work on short films for the Ghibli Museum, as reported by io9.
[Featured Image by C3nmt/deviantART]
