In the world of filmmaking, there are always a dozen or so names of directors who cinephiles will argue about when it comes to answering the question—who is the best ever? However, if you narrow it down to animated features, many will immediately drop the name, Hayao Miyazaki. The Japanese filmmaker has consistently made some of the most beautiful and moving animated films over the past several decades, and it appears he is set to officially retire after one last film, “How Do You Live?”
READ MORE: Ranked: The Best Films Of Hayao Miyazaki
According to a profile in the New York Times, Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki revealed that the filmmaker is working on one more film that will serve as the director’s swansong. Yes, this might sound a bit like a broken record, as Miyazaki was already supposed to be retired. But he’s coming out of retirement for one more. And just one more. For real, this time.
Studio Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki also didn’t believe Miyazaki when he told him about the idea for one more film. Suzuki recalled that he told the filmmaker, “Give me a break!” However, after talking about the project, Suzuki realized it had to be made.
“The whole purpose of Studio Ghibli is to make Miyazaki films,” Suzuki said.
So, what exactly is the film Miyazaki is working on? Not much is known about how the filmmaker will adapt the work, but we know the film is based on the 1937 novel, “How Do You Live?” by author Yoshino Genzaburō. The story is a coming-of-age story about a 15-year-old boy in Tokyo. But as we know from previous Miyazaki films, the filmmaker is less concerned with being accountable to the text than he is with crafting a great film so that the story could differ quite a bit. In fact, Suzuki describes the film as “fantasy on a grand scale.”
A release date for “How Do You Live?” is unknown at this time.