Studio Ghibli made a comeback this year in the United States when its newest movie went live. Earwig and the Witch brought the anime studio into the modern age with its 3DCG design, and many praised Goro Miyazaki for the fun-loving story. Of course, plenty wondered how Studio Ghibli’s Hayao Miyazaki felt about the project, and it turns out he is happier with the film than anyone expected.
The note was made when Miyazaki sat down for an interview to talk about Earwig and the Witch ahead of its return to Japanese theaters. The film is slated to screen overseas on August 27 with additional footage, so Miyazaki has done some press for the event. It was there he said he had to pass on directing the film given his workload.
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“I’ve been made to carry the destiny of only making feature-length theatrical works, so I thought ‘I can’t direct Earwig,’” the director shared. “So after that, I left the matter up to [Studio Ghibli producer Toshio] Suzuki.”
Continuing, Miyazaki went on to say he hadn’t even considered having his son direct the project. This is hardly surprising given the somewhat tense relationship the father-son duo have in the eyes of fans. In the past, Hayao Miyazaki has been publicly critical of Goro’s work in the past. However, the older man believes Earwig and the Witch turned out well.
“If anything, I thought it would be kind of impossible for him. But despite my thoughts, Earwig turned out to be rather interesting. I think he used CG skillfully. It’s really something. And I think they put together a good team,” Miyazaki admitted.
Clearly, the director did enjoy watching Earwig and the Witch, and fans are glad to see Goro get some praise from his father. The interview went on to praise Goro’s sensibility with CG animation as the elder Miyazaki said the style suited him.
“It’s interesting. Being able to say, simply, ‘It’s interesting,’ really is a good thing. Not ‘This part of it is interesting,’ but just ‘It’s interesting.’,” Hayao shared. “[Goro] hung on to his determination to make the movie, so it turned out really well. It really doesn’t matter that he’s my son, does it? It being CG, not drawn with pencils, set him free.”
What do you think about Miyazaki’s take on Earwig and the Witch? Have you watched the Studio Ghibli film yet? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.
