Studio Ghibli is halting production

[Wabbit]

Japanese animated film-maker Studio Ghibli, whose hits including Oscar winner Spirited Away, has announced a halt in production.

Co-founder Toshio Suzuki told Japanese television the company was likely to undergo an overhaul, although a total end to film-making has been discussed.

The changes come after lead director Hayao Miyazaki retired from the anime makers in September.

His hit Spirited Away won the Academy Award for best animation in 2002.

Howl's Moving Castle landed an Oscar nomination two years later, while Miyazaki's work has been credited with bringing Japanese animation to a broad global audience.

Suzuki said in his TV appearance: "It is by no means impossible to keep producing [movies] forever. However, we will take a brief pause to consider where to go from here."

He added that a period of "housecleaning" was necessary after the departure of Miyazaki, and would be needed to allow new animators and directors to make their mark.

The studio has admitted that the departure of its most recognisable film-maker has caused them to reconsider the future.

Some media outlets initially reported that the anime studio was ceasing production entirely and would exist with a much smaller staff to deal with rights for its existing output in film, video games and merchandise.

But reports were amended after Suzuki's appearance on Japan's TBS network had been precisely translated.

Studio Ghibli has made animated movies for almost 30 years, with other hits including Princess Monoke and My Neighbour Totoro.

The Wind Rises was Miyazaki's swansong feature last year which premiered at the Venice Film Festival.

There have been two subsequent Ghibli releases which were made by other directors, the most recent being When Marnie Was There, which came out in Japan last month.

I bet they made so many peoples childhood awesome...I saw spirited away 2 days ago it was awesome T_T

 

[Aoihime]

Spirited away was beautiful<3 I loved it's animation style....

 

[Out Of Ctrl]

They've made some great animated films.

 

[GreyWizard93]

I was not aware of any of this.

Spirited away
princess mononoke
howls flying castle?
Ponyo?

Not to sure if the last 2 are by the same creators but they were amazing to. God I watched these all so long ago.. I watched one about a tiny family of 3 who live under a house and she has a needle I believe
Anyways, that was just as great too. =3

 

[YowYan]

That's a shame..I looked forward to studio ghibli's latest movie.

 

[Silico]

Can't say the wind rises was even nearly as good as Spirited away and Howl's moving castle and even more distant from my favorite Mononoke Hime. Miyazaki should've ended his career with a way better movie. I was dissapointed as hell when i saw his last one ~_~

 

[SSW Imp]

Can't say the wind rises was even nearly as good as Spirited away and Howl's moving castle and even more distant from my favorite Mononoke Hime. Miyazaki should've ended his career with a way better movie. I was dissapointed as hell when i saw his last one ~_~

I agree 100%, but he had one hell of a career. Studio Ghibli made my childhood perfect

 

[fiend]

Yeah just read the bbc report which was more comforting as the studio is not closing but going under a overhaul, this time the shake-up and rising into prominence of new animators might reinvigorate the studio after all the 2013 controversy surrounding 'the wind rises', last film the princess kaguya was good too.

As for Miyazaki, I thought he might not have retired if not for the 2013 controversy, sad to see him go, he is a legend, I am hyped up for his new samurai manga.