Hayao Miyazaki calls off retirement for the fourth time

Hayao Miyazaki might not be retiring anytime soon. Studio Ghibli executive Junichi Nishioka has hinted that "The Boy and the Heron" might not be his last film after all. 

During a CBC interview, Junichi revealed that the filmmaker does not consider "The Boy and the Heron" to be his final work. 

"Others say this is his last film, but he doesn't feel that way," he stated through a translator. 

"Every day, he comes into his office and does it. He's not going to announce his retirement this time. He is continuing to work as he has always done. Miyazaki is currently working on ideas for his new film  ," added Nishioka. 

This is the fourth time Miyazaki failed to retire. Earlier on, he announced plans to retire in 1997, after his film "Princess Mononoke" was released. And then again in 2001, after the release of "Spirited Away". 

Miyazaki revealed his retirement plan for the third time in 2013, after the release of his film "The Wind Rises." And last but not the least, his recent announcement in 2018's after his animated short film "Boro the Caterpillar" was unveiled at theaters. Once again, we have been tricked by the master into believing that he is retiring. 

His latest film "The Boy and the Heron," set during WWII, is characterised as a semi-autobiographical fantasy about life, death, and creation, in tribute to friendship.

The movie centers around the story of Mahito, a young boy seeking to come to terms with his mother's death. Following his father's relocation, he discovers a realm shared by the living and the dead, where death comes to an end, and life finds a new beginning.

"The Boy and the Heron" will be released in the United States on December 8, 2023, after its premiered at the Toronto Film Festival.