Hayao Miyazaki. How Do You Live, based on a 1937 novel of the same name by author Genzaburo Yoshino, will open in Japanese theaters on July 14, 2023. This will be Miyazaki's first feature-length film after his announced retirement in 2013.
Very few filmmakers have been as influential as Hayao Miyazaki, whose influence extends way beyond the world of animation. Studio Ghibli, which he co-founded in 1985, has produced five of the ten highest-grossing anime feature films of all time, and movies such as Princess Mononoke (whose English script was curated by Neil Gaiman) Spirited Away, and Howl's Moving Castle have garnered international acclaim and success. In 2013, Miyazaki announced his retirement, but in 2017 Studio Ghibli announced that the master would come back for one, last movie, How Do You Live, which has been in production since.
On December 13, 2022, both the Japanese and the USA Twitter s of Studio Ghibli finally announced that How Do You Live (tentative title) will open in Japanese cinemas on July 14, 2023. The announcements also include a sketch of a bird-like creature that will surely ignite the imagination of millions of Studio Ghibli fans worldwide. How Do You Live marks Miyazaki's return to producing and directing a feature-length movie after 2013's The Wind Rises, based on Miyazaki's own manga Kaze Tachinu.
Miyazaki's Last Movie Is Based On His Favorite Book
How Do You Live has often been quoted by Miyazaki as one of his favorite books. The novel is considered a classic coming-of-age story for young readers in Japan. It tells the story of Copper, a fifteen-year-old boy, who must confront the reality of growing up after the death of his father, relying on the advice of his uncle, who talks to him from the pages of a journal. Copper, like his namesake Copernicus, looks to the stars in search of answers to the big questions of life, a theme that has always been present in Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli's works. The novel received its first English translation in 2021.
Miyazaki has not been idle since his retirement and continued working on the displays at Studio Ghibli Museum, besides cooperating with Lucas Films on a Baby Yoda short. The company also recently opened a theme park based on Miyazaki's works, located in Aichi Prefecture. While these initiatives were obviously well-received by fans, nothing beats Miyazaki's return to filmmaking. The official announcement of the release date of How Do You Live is the best news that Studio Ghibli fans could receive, and Hayao Miyazaki's last movie will cement his legacy as the greatest anime filmmaker of all time.
Source: Studio Ghibli on Twitter.
