How Do You Live? Will Be Studio Ghibli’s First IMAX Release

Studio Ghibli s taking a massive risk with its next movie, “How Do You Live?”. Billed as the final film from director Hayao Miyazaki, the movie is releasing no trailer and/or footage from the movie prior to its theatrical release in Japan. Hitting theaters on July 14th in the East later this month, How Do You Live? has confirmed that it will be the first Studio Ghibli movie to hit IMAX screens. This is quite the move for Ghibli and shows the faith that the studio has in Miyazaki’s final film.

The final film by Hayao Miyazaki is based on a novel that was printed in 1937 by writer Yoshino Genzaburo. Despite seeing no animation as of yet, the novel might give fans clues as to what Ghibli’s next movie will focus on. Rather than having magical landscapes such as Howl’s Moving Castle and Spirited Away, How Do You Live focuses on a fifteen-year-old named Copper as he struggles with the meaning of life. Based on the synopsis, the upcoming film sounds in line more with another movie in Ghibli’s roster, The Wind Also Rises, which took a far more realistic approach.

Ghibli on IMAX

When How Do You Live? hits theaters in Japan on July 14th, it will also arrive on IMAX screens, making this the first Ghibli film that has done so. Presently, the mysterious film has yet to confirm if it is coming to North America, though based on Studio Ghibli’s popularity, it’s a safe bet that it will eventually. Despite releasing no footage or marketing material outside of one poster, Ghibli and Miyazaki’s track record makes this one of the biggest anime movies of this year. 

If you’re unfamiliar with How Do You Live?, the official description for the original novel reads as such, “The official description of the original novel reads as such, “How Do You Live? begins with fifteen-year-old Copper, who has recently suffered the loss of his father, gazing out over his hometown of Tokyo, watching the thousands of people below, and beginning to ponder life’s big questions. How many people are in the world? What do their lives look like? Are humans really made of molecules? The book moves between Copper’s story and his uncle’s journal entries, in which he gives advice and helps Copper learn pivotal truths about the way the world works.”  

Via Crunchyroll