Studio Ghibli has gone through some pretty big changes as Hayao Miyazaki was on the cusp of releasing his thought to be final film, but the famed creator soon revealed that not only was he already thinking of his next work, but the team at the studio also noted that it would be difficult to replace him. Studio Ghibli was recently acquired by Nippon TV in Japan, and co-founder and producer Toshio Suzuki revealed that one of the elements of the deal was that Miyazaki and Suzuki were going to be allowed full creative freedom for each of their future projects from that point on.
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Speaking about Miyazaki’s potential retirement as The Boy and The Heron was previously thought to be his final feature film effort with France’s Liberation, Suzuki not only commented on the fact that Goro Miyazaki potentially taking over would make Studio Ghibli a Miyazaki family company, but that finding an actual successor to Hayao Miyazaki himself would be difficult as “Right or wrong, the reality is that Studio Ghibli is first and foremost Miyazaki’s creative genius.”
Why There’s No Succeeding Hayao Miyazaki
“That’s my main concern. Right or wrong, the reality is that Studio Ghibli is first and foremost Miyazaki’s creative genius. We’ll just have to wait for another great talent to succeed him. For the moment, there isn’t one anywhere in Japan,” Suzuki began. Elaborating on this further, Suzuki stated, “It’s too difficult to stand in his shoes. I’d like to see someone emerge who surpasses him, but it’s not easy. Creating a work requires two things. The power of expression, which is what Miyazaki excels at, and the ability to think and realize a project. I think that when it comes to expressive power, Miyazaki is unsurpassed.”
We’ll soon see what Miyazaki has planned next as The Boy and The Heron will be releasing across theaters in the United States some time later this year through GKIDS. It was notable because it was Hayao Miyazaki’s first written and directed feature in ten years, but now it’s become clear that it will be far from his last as he’ll be making movies with Studio Ghibli for as long as he can.
Do you think anyone will be able to follow Hayao Miyazaki for Studio Ghibli when the time comes? Let us know all of your thoughts about it in the comments! You can even reach out to me directly about all things animation and other cool stuff @Valdezology on Twitter!
