Studio Ghibli Director Hayao Miyazaki Comes Out Of Retirement To Fulfill His New Vision

The world renown director of anime classics Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro is back with a new film in production.

According to a report from CBR, Hayao Miyazaki, director of Japanese animation company Studio Ghibli, has returned after previously announcing his retirement from filmmaking.

The famed animator and director, known for My Neighbor Totoro and various other highly praised Japanese animated films, recently announced his retirement after the release of his "final" film, The Boy and the Heron. Now, according to Studio Ghibli president Toshio Suzuki, Miyazaki is not only back working but also more spirited than ever, stating that the director is reportedly "obsessed" with his next project. "He's thinking about this next project every day, and I can't stop him — in fact, I've given up," Suzuki said in an interview with Liberation. "I no longer try to dissuade him, even if he were to make a failed film. In life, it's only the work that delights him."

A founding member of Studio Ghibli, Miyazaki has continued his involvement as the studio's most notable and recognized director since 1985, serving as the creative genius behind legendary films like Howl's Moving Castle and Spirited Away, which achieved an Oscar win for Best Animated Picture in 2003. Now 82 years of age, Miyazaki has continued to produce films for the studio, with his most recent completed accomplishment, The Boy and the Heron, proposed as his final creation

before his retirement.

Nevertheless, Miyazaki has returned to the director's chair for another film, which he is reportedly so obsessed with that according to Suzuki, producers have claimed he's forgotten what his previous film was even about. Neither Studio Ghibli nor Miyazaki himself has disclosed any information on what his new creation is about or when it may be completed, but the studio has guaranteed Studio Ghibli lovers at least one more Miyazaki film to anticipate.

Meanwhile, The Boy and the Heron continues to garner exclusive fond reviews prior to its release, with many critics referencing it as one of Miyazaki's best creations to date. Further solidifying his legacy in the industry, the director's son Goro Miyazaki has also made his mark at the studio, with works like Tales from Earthsea yielding similar praise and his

most recent film, Earwig and the Witch,

serving as the studio's first-ever CG-

animated film.

The Boy and the Heron takes to the big screen worldwide on December 8th.