Will Hayao Miyazaki Make Another Movie After ‘The Boy and the Heron’?

Is Hayao Miyazaki retired?

It’s a question fans of Studio Ghibli have been asking for over 25 years now.

First, there were rumors he retired in 1997 after releasing Princess Mononoke and in 2001 after releasing Spirited Away.

Then, the director himself formally announced that 2013’s The Wind Rises would be his final film. Obviously, we know how that played out.

Ten years later, Miyazaki officially un-retired and released The Boy and The Heron in 2023, which won the Academy Award for Best Animated Feature. It’s the second time one of his films has won the award, following Spirited Away‘s win in 2002.

The 86-year-old director was unable to attend the Academy Awards due to his age, which seems to suggest that he would be too old to create another film. But that might not be the case at all.

After his Oscar win, several reports stated that the director had canceled his retirement for a fourth time and had even already begun coming into work to begin producing his next film, according to Studio Ghibli executive Junichi Nishioka.

“Other people say that [The Boy and the Heron] might be his last film, but he doesn’t feel that way at all,” Nishioka told CBC News. “He is currently working on ideas for a new film. He comes into his office every day and does that. This time, he’s not going to announce his retirement at all. He’s continuing working just as he has always done.”

It shouldn’t be a surprise that one of the greatest directors of all time is continuing to produce his art that brings joy to so many people all over the globe, especially with how many times he’s “retired” only to return again. What matters now is if Miyazaki can stay healthy enough to finish his work.