Studio Ghibli Reveals the Live-Action Offers It's Gotten for Nausicaa
Studio Ghibli is one of the best-known names in anime and for excellent reason. The company houses [...]
Studio Ghibli is one of the best-known names in anime and for excellent reason. The company houses some of the medium's most famous movies to date like Spirited Away and Howl's Moving Castle. Of course, this has led some fans to wonder why Studio Ghibli has never done any big-name adaptations of its films, but it turns out one famed film has courted live-action adaptations in the past.
Recently, Toshio Suzuki made the information public about Studio Ghibli's live-action offers. The co-founder and executive producer told Fuji TV that a number of entities have wanted to adapt Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. But so far, Studio Ghibli has kept the iconic IP to itself.
According to the chat, Suzuki said notable directors like Hideaki Anno approached Studio Ghibli with an idea for adapting Nausicaä. The filmmaker is hugely popular in Japan and all over the world given his work on Shin Godzilla and Evangelion. Suzuki also said director Takashi Yamazaki (Lupin III The First) has also spoken to him about adapting the film. For now, though, the answer is no.
The famed Studio Ghibli producer said "everyone wants to make" a live-action adaptation of Nausicaä except for its creator. Director Hayao Miyazaki is infamous for turning down adaptation proposals. However, in a previous interview, the beloved director did tell fans he'd be okay with a Nausicaä sequel but only if Anno oversees it.
"I don't really feel like doing it, but Anno keeps on saying, 'I want to do it! I want to do it!,' so I tell him now that I've come to think lately that if he wanted to do it, it would be fine for him to do it," Miyazaki said back in 2013.
It seems like if Studio Ghibli were to tap anyone for more Nausicaä work, it would be Anno. This is hardly surprising given his reputation as a director and his history with the franchise. Anno worked on the original Nausicaä film as a key animator, and he has said the film's God Warriors helped inspire his vision for Evangelion. Anno's return to Nausicaa would bring his career full circle, so maybe he will get to revisit the epic story one day soon.
What do you think about this Nausicaä trivia? Do you think Studio Ghibli should pursue live-action adaptations at some point...? Share your thoughts with us in the comments section below or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB.