“The issue of succession has been a problem for a long time,” a statement reads, as Studio Ghibli announces that it will become a subsidiary of Nippon Television.
The end of an era approaches at Studio Ghibli, arguably one of the most respected and beloved animation houses in the world. In a report by Variety, the Japanese studio has announced that it’s to sell a controlling stake to the broadcaster Nippon Television.
With one of its co-founders (Isao Takahata) having sadly passed away in 2018, and the remaining two (Hayao Miyazaki and Toshio Suzuki) themselves reaching retirement, the question of who would take control of the studio has been a topic of internal conversation for a while. In a statement, Studio Ghibli said that director Hayao Miyazaki’s son, Goro, had turned down the offer to carry on the business; with no one else to take over the company, the decision was made to allow Nippon Television to take over.
“At Studio Ghibli, director Miyazaki Hayao is now 82 years old, and producer Suzuki Toshio is also 75 years old, and the issue of succession has been a problem for a long time,” Studio Ghibli wrote in a statement shared with Variety. “Miyazaki Goro, the eldest son of founder Miyazaki Hayao and an animation film director himself, has been mentioned several times as the successor to Studio Ghibli. However, Miyazaki Goro himself firmly declined, believing that it would be difficult to carry Ghibli alone, and that it would be better to leave the future of the company to others.”
Both Studio Ghibli and NTV insist that the animation house will be in safe hands, however; when longstanding producer Toshio Suzuki met with NTV’s CEO Sugiyama Mikuni last year, the latter pledged to protect “the environment in which Ghibli can continue to make movies.”
“Because Nippon Television has maintained a long-standing relationship with Studio Ghibli while respecting its values, we were confident that we could permanently protect Studio Ghibli’s ‘manufacturing’ and brand value,” a joint statement reads.
Miyazaki, Takahata and Suzuki founded Studio Ghibli in 1985, and it has since produced some of the most captivating animated films the medium has ever seen. Castle In The Sky, Grave Of The Fireflies, My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away… the genres and styles vary, but their output is marked out by their exquisite detail and delicate storytelling.
Its latest film, The Boy And The Heron, is said to be Hayao Miyazaki’s last – though the director also said the same thing about 2013’s The Wind Rises. Whether Miyazaki has one final film in him or not, it’s clear that a new era for Studio Ghibli is approaching – one where the company carries on without the creative minds that guided it for almost forty years.
The Boy And The Heron is to screen at the London Film Festival in October. Tickets have long since sold out.
