Studio Ghibli and Hayao Miyazaki are responsible for their fair share of the most popular and successful animated films ever created. For nearly 40 years, fans of all ages have been shaped by the studio's grand and fantastical tales of youth, romance, and all the wonders the world may or may not be hiding. With so many successful works under his belt, Miyazaki announced that 2023's The Boy and the Heron would be his final film, but it wasn't the first time this sort of statement had been made by the world-famous director.

Hayao Miyazaki has declared his retirement from filmmaking on a number of occasions, only to return a short time later with another awe-inspiring project. Rumors state the director claimed to be finished after both 1997's Princess Mononoke and 2001's Spirited Away, before he formally announced that 2013's The Wind Rises would be his last work, only to do the same in the lead up to The Boy and the Heron. Before the film even made it to theaters, he once again unretired.

As of 2023, Studio Ghibli execs confirmed that Miyazaki is still showing up to work every day, piecing together his next film. While it's largely unknown what that next project might entail, there is something the director has seemingly always wanted to do but couldn't, and a documentary released in Japan celebrating The Boy and the Heron's release might've given the strongest hint of what's coming next.

Hayao Miyazaki Has Expressed Interest In Making a Sequel

Many Rumored Sequels to Ghibli Films Have Come and Gone Throughout the Years

As expected of someone who has retired and unretired numerous times throughout his career, Hayao Miyazaki's stance on sequels is seemingly always changing. Every few years, a rumored continuation of one of the director's beloved films is either announced or teased, before never seeing the light of day. Most famously, Miyazaki himself claimed he was working on a sequel to 1992's Porco Rosso, before The Wind Rises was released in theaters only a few short years later.

The long-rumored Porco Rosso: The Last Sortie never began production, and it's incredibly unlikely that Miyazaki would revisit the plan over a decade later. Around the same time, he also expressed interest in making a sequel to 2008's Ponyo, his last work before The Wind Rises went into production, but instead decided on adapting his manga of the same name.

Later on, when deciding how to move ahead with one final film, Miyazaki became stuck between two competing ideas. One was a post-wartime movie with a male lead, which would eventually turn into The Boy and the Heron, and the other was a sequel to My Neighbor Totoro. The original film was released in 1988, nearly 30 years before, and played a large role in turning Ghibli into the powerhouse studio it is today. Totoro is still used as the company's mascot, and any sequel starring the lovable creature would likely have been a lucrative venture.

Unfortunately, none of these planned works ever saw the light of day, leaving 2002's The Cat Returns as Ghibli's only sequel/spin-off. However, fans may not want to give up hope, as a recent potential hint of what might be coming next from Miyazaki seemingly snuck right under fans' radars.

Hayao Miyazaki Was Recorded Working on a Nausicaä Drawing

A 2023 Documentary Included Footage of Miyazaki Drawing Nausicaä Artwork

Following the release of The Boy and the Heron, NHK aired a documentary about the making of the latest hit movie titled 2399 Days with Ghibli and Miyazaki. Various Ghibli artists and executives gave their s of how the film came together, and recorded footage of Miyazaki and the staff during production was captured and included. However, one moment began to raise the eyebrows of Ghibli fans paying extra close attention to what they were being shown.

For a brief moment, Miyazaki is recorded at his desk, and the camera steals a glance over his shoulder to reveal the director working on art featuring Nausicaä, the protagonist of 1984's Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, a pre-Ghibli film based on Miyazaki's manga of the same name. The documentary fails to comment on the drawing whatsoever, and fans have taken to speculating whether his next film will star the instantly recognizable character.

Typically, any random drawing of a past Ghibli heroine wouldn't cause much of a stir, but one landing on the desk of Hayao Miyazaki is certainly notable. Given his history with sequels, and just how much of his creative power went into Nausicaä, it wouldn't be the unlikeliest candidate for a follow-up of some sort.

A Nausicaä Sequel Is Possible, Though It Might Prove to Be a Difficult Task

Miyazaki's Nausicaä Film Is Different From Its Source Material

Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind is a 1984 film based on Hayao Miyazaki's manga series, which ran from 1982 to 1994. While the extra 10 years of material that followed the movie's release might seem to make it the perfect film to receive a follow-up, it isn't exactly such a simple situation. Due to factors such as technological restrictions of the time and Miyazaki's relative inexperience, among other creative decisions made during production, the film differs greatly from the original manga.

It would prove somewhat difficult for Ghibli to adapt any of the material that came after the film without contradicting its events, leaving the likeliest course of action to be a remake of sorts. While leaving the 1984 film alone, Miyazaki and Ghibli could go back and start work on a proper adaptation of Nausicaä that would more closely follow its source material.

Whether Hayao Miyazaki truly intends to finish his filmmaking career with The Boy and the Heron is unknown, though past history suggests fans haven't seen the last of the world-famous director just yet. Given his history with potential sequels, it's likely a good idea to wait until an official announcement is made before speculating what might come next, but his recent artwork of Nausicaä wouldn't be the worst reason to begin speculating anyway.

Source: NHK (2399 Days with Ghibli and Miyazaki)