If you don’t read Japanese, the interview was reprinted by Kotaku in English, and explains that, though Miyazaki had originally felt he had nothing left to say in features, and that trying to make one would feel like the work of an out-of-touch old man, it was because of a decidedly young person that he got back to work.
“[Miyazaki] said, ‘I’m making it for my grandson,’” Suzuki explained. The producer also added that Miyazaki said that his grandson might say something like, “Grandpa passed into the next world, but he left this work.” Suzuki must have realized that this explanation isn’t the most elaborate or profound of reasons, so he continued, “No doubt Ghibli fans are looking at the TV, blurting, ‘Hey! Wait a second. That’s the reason?!’”
That is, evidently, the explanation, though Ghibli is being very slow to officially announce the new Miyazaki project, which will evidently be a CG feature version of a short he was working on called Boro the Caterpillar. Even though there’s a whole documentary about the director’s desire to make a feature, it looks like it’s not close to being released.
Look, we’re here for a Hayao Miyazaki movie, however long it takes. We just don’t hope it’s not TOO too long. For our sake and for his grandson’s.
Image: Toho/GKIDS/Studio Canal
Kyle Anderson is the Associate Editor for Nerdist. He’s the writer of Studio Ghibli retrospectives Miyazaki Masterclass, Takahata Textbook, and Ghibli Bits. Follow him on Twitter!
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