Sep 12, 2023

The vice president of Studio Ghibli says that "Boy and Heron" is not Miyazaki's final work.

At the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF) Opening Night Festival last week, Junichi Nishioka, Vice president of Studio Ghibli, said that the legendary film director Hayao Miyazaki has not yet directed, and the film director is still a constant presence in the studio.

Nishioka was in town for the international premiere of Miyazaki's latest film, Boy and Heron, which opened this year's TIFF.

Miyazaki's retirement flip-flop is hardly surprising anymore. He has hinted at retirement, retirement, and non-retirement for more than two decades.

After finishing the film for the last 20 years, he would say I was done...But this time he did not mention anything about retirement. There is still nothing concrete on the table, but he shows his willingness to create something new.

He also explained that Miyazaki, now 82, is still in the studio every day and is working on new ideas for future projects.

In an interview with Canadian broadcaster CBC, Nishioka reiterated through an interpreter that "previous rumors that boy and Heron will be Miyazaki's last film did not come from the filmmakers themselves, but the director is planning his next film."

Others say this may be his last film, but he doesn't feel that way. He is currently working on the idea of a new film. He comes to his office every day and does it. This time, he is not going to announce his retirement at all. He continues to work as usual.

Western critics were excited about what they saw in the Toronto debut of Boy and Heron. The film will premiere in Europe when the San Sebastian International Film Festival opens on 9/22, and will debut in the United States at the New York Film Festival on 10/1.

The general audience will have to wait a little longer to see Miyazaki's latest. GKIDS will release THE MOVIE in US theaters on May 8 AND is THE perfect timing for the big awards season PUSH.