Hayao Miyazaki has become a bit of a meme when it comes to his retirement. For years, he has adamantly promised to retire after just one more film… and yet, decades have passed, and he continues to work. Finally, his latest film, “The Boy and the Heron,” has made a significant impact worldwide and has become one of the most successful in his career. But not content with that, he already has a new project in the works.
Now that Nippon Television has absorbed Studio Ghibli, the future of the company is assured. And for now, Miyazaki has another project on his hands that has prevented his retirement from happening. But why hasn’t he decided to stop already?
He has an impressive movie in the works
The reason why Hayao Miyazaki hasn’t retired yet is simply because he has a big project on his hands. As explained by producer and co-founder of Ghibli, Toshio Suzuki, in an interview with Liberation, he is completely “obsessed” with this new film, and therefore, no one can persuade him to set it aside in pursuit of a quieter and more peaceful life. His statements were as follows:
“He thinks about his new film every day, I can’t stop him. In fact, I’ve given up. I don’t try to dissuade him anymore, even if he were making a failed movie. In life, the only thing he enjoys is work.”
Despite his age, 82 years old, the director has no intention of quitting. This is what fulfills him as an artist and what he wants to keep doing for the rest of his life. Suzuki describes it as follows:
“We were talking just before, and he said something incredible. He said… ‘What was my last film about? I don’t remember.’ And then he started talking about a new project, so I won’t stop him. I won’t be able to retire as long as he keeps working. He’s 82 years old, and I think he’ll continue until he’s 90. And I’ll stay by his side.”
