Over the weekend, all eyes were on Studio Ghibli as the company brought home its second Academy Award. The Boy and the Heron won Best Animated Feature in a tight race. At home, audiences admitted they were surprised director Hayao Miyazaki wasn’t in attendance, leaving many to wonder why the man of the hour wasn’t in. But in a new statement, the CCO of Studio Ghibli says Miyazaki felt too old to attend.
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Kiyofumi Nakajima was in Los Angeles this week to accept the Oscar on his colleague’s behalf. After The Boy and the Heron won its big award, the CCO spoke to press, and it was there the executive apologized for Miyazaki’s absence.
“I would like to thank all the people who are connected to this film. We would like to apologize that the director, Hayao Miyazaki, and the producer, Toshio Suzuki, could not be here today. Please forgive them, they’re kind of up in the age bracket.”
Of course, Studio Ghibli fans were hardly phased by Miyazaki’s absence. The heralded director is not one for press, and this truth was made clear by The Boy and the Heron. Despite the hype, Studio Ghibli chose to keep press and marketing for Miyazaki’s film to a bare minimum; Only a single poster was shown before The Boy and the Heron launched overseas, keeping the mystery alive. Since its global launch, Miyazaki has kept out of the spotlight and let his movie do the talking. So naturally, the director had nothing to say in the wake of The Boy and the Heron‘s Oscar win.
If you have not seen The Boy and the Heron, the movie is expected to stream on Max later this year. You can check out the service for all your other Studio Ghibli faves as well. In fact, Max announced this week it is renewing its streaming license with Studio Ghibli. So if you haven’t seen Spirited Away or Princess Mononoke, we suggest you peek them ASAP.
What do you think about this latest comment from Studio Ghibli? Let us know what you think in the comments below as well as on Twitter and Instagram. You can also hit me up @MeganPetersCB to share your take!
