Studio Ghibli Says Hayao Miyazaki's New Film Has Completed 35+ Minutes of Footage

Studio Ghibli has earned its reputation as an anime powerhouse, and it seems not even the pandemic can stop director Hayao Miyazaki from working on his next project. After coming out of retirement, the beloved filmmaker began working on his next feature length film titled How Do You Live?, and he hasn't stopped. A new interview with the co-creator of Studio Ghibli Toshio Suzuki informed fans as much.

Suzuki was able to talk about Studio Ghibli's comeback and Miyazaki during an interview with Entertainment Weekly. It was there the producer revealed COVID-19 has not slowed down Miyazaki as the director is still working on the film. In fact, the studio's staff has completed a total of 36 minutes of footage to date.

"The film that Hayao Miyazaki's working on at the moment is a big, fantastical story," Suzuki shared.

Currently, Suzuki and Miyazaki hope the film will be finished within the next three years. It wasn't too long ago that the producer said How Do You Live? was about 15% finished, and that took over three years. Suzuki says Miyazaki and his team are not working towards a specific deadline so that this movie can develop organically, and that is new for Suzuki. He has said before that Studio Ghibli was used to tight deadlines, but Miyazaki is going a different route now that he's come out of retirement.

As for what fans can expect from the movie, How Do You Live? is said to be a grand story that is based on a Japanese book from Genzaburo Yoshino. The 1937 story focuses on a boy and his uncle as the pair learn from one another how life is lived and how it should be. Fans are certain this movie will become a magnum opus for the iconic director, so netizens are cheeering Miyazaki on from afar and wishing him the best of health while he works.

Are you excited for this all-new feature? Which Miyazaki film ranks as your favorite so far? Let me know in the comments or hit me up on Twitter @MeganPetersCB to talk all things comics and anime!