Miyazaki is Not Done Yet! The Boy and The Heron Isn’t His Last Film

With Ghibli, Miyazaki helmed incredible feature films that created magic. In September 2013, this man announced his retirement after completing “The Wind Rises”. It’s been a decade since, and Miyazaki could not help but come back with a new project.

‘The Boy and the Heron’ was released in Japan with no promotion and garnered massive success. Now, fans have come to assume that this may be Hayao Miyazaki’s last film, but the director isn’t ready to put his pen down yet. He is prepared to allure us all again.

Studio Ghibli’s Vice President Junichi Nishioka told CBC that “The Boy and the Heron is not [Hayao] Miyazaki’s final film and that he is already coming into the office with new ideas.”

“Other people say that this might be his last film, but he doesn’t feel that way at all,” said Nishioka. He also said that this time, he’s not going to announce his retirement at all. He’s continuing to work just as he has always done.

According to Nishioka, this time, it is different. Miyazaki, for the last 20 years, after finishing a movie, would say I’m done… but this time, he didn’t mention anything about retirement.

The Boy and the Heron was personal to Miyazaki as it was inspired by a book that helped him overcome the pain of losing his mother. He relates to the boy from “How Do You Live?” since they both dealt with the consequences of war.

He put in careful consideration and crafted this masterpiece for seven years. If you think about it, it’s the perfect last project to retire with. However, at 82 years old, this living legend is still pushing on. Miyazaki still wants to create new stories that captivate people, which is truly remarkable.

Fans will always look forward to more projects by Miyazaki as they are full of life and spark new feelings. We will always cheer on and wait for Hayao Miyazaki and his wonders.

GKIDS licensed “The Boy and The Heron” and will screen it in North American theaters and IMAX on December 8 with special preview engagements on November 22. We will finally see this movie in December, so let’s wait patiently until then.

About “The Boy and The Heron”

“The Boy and The Heron” (Kimitachi wa Dō Ikiru ka) is an anime film written and directed by Hayao Miyazaki. The story is inspired by the novel of the same name by Genzaburo Yoshino, first published in 1937 and set in pre-war Japan.

The novel tells the story of Copper, a fifteen-year-old boy who lives in Tokyo, watches thousands of people every day and wonders about anything and everything. After his father’s death, he goes on a journey of philosophical enlightenment and uses his knowledge to determine the best way to live!