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Ghibli's Suzuki: 'Next Ghibli Film to Be Released Next Summer'

Former Ghibli president and current producer Toshio Suzuki revealed at Hayao Miyazaki's retirement press conference on Friday that the next film from Studio Ghibli (after Isao Takahata's Kaguya-hime no Monogatari) will open next summer in Japan. Suzuki told reporters that he could not reveal any details about the film, but it is still in production.

At the press conference, Miyazaki spoke about his recently announced retirement from feature films. He told reporters, “I think people are thinking, 'Oh, he's saying he's going to retire again,' but this time, I am serious.” Miyazaki also revealed that although he has enjoyed his work as an animator on multiple occasions, he has never been happy to be a director, since he has to make lots of decisions.

Although he told reporters that he will be resting during his retirement, he insisted that his “rest” will not look like rest for others. “When I work on something I like, the work becomes the rest I want. When I sleep, I cannot rest.” He mused about volunteering at the Ghibli Museum, and joked that he himself might become an exhibit there.

When asked about his formal declaration of retirement, Miyazaki replied, “I didn't mean to make a declaration, I just told my staff. The producer [Suzuki] noted that it would be difficult if he was asked questions, so we decided on a press conference. But the studio is too small, so we decided to hold it here. But I didn't plan to have a conference like this.” Although a Hong Kong reporter pointed out his decreased weight, Miyazaki assured her that it was because he had gotten fatter after he got married, and had actually just gotten down to the proper weight. "When I look at photos of me at that time [five years ago] now, I think I look like a pig."

When asked about other feature films that he had wished he could do, Miyazaki replied that there were films that were not made, but there were reasons that they were not made. However, those reasons could not be discussed in public. When a reporter asked Miyazaki about if he himself had plans for a sequel to his 1984 film Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind, Miyazaki simply replied, “No” with a smile.

Miyazaki insisted that the idea for The Wind Rises, his 11th and final feature film, was not inspired by 2011's earthquake, as the idea was conceived before the disaster happened. In response to some negative reactions in Korean and Japanese media toward the film, Miyazaki said, “It's a militaristic setting, and I think there are lot of opinions... However, I think you won't understand the film unless you watch it. Buy a ticket and go see it. Don't just spout opinions without basis.”