News is filtering out of Japan that the famed Studio Ghibli, home of Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, is closing its doors as a theatrical animation production house.The announcement was made on Japanese television by general manager Toshio Suzuki
Rumours have apparently been circulating for some time, following the poor performance of Tale of Princess Kaguya, and Miyazaki’s retirement last year following The Wind Rises. Kaguya only made 5.1 billion yen, but the lengthy production and associated costs did not net enough profit.
The legendary studio is responsible for such classics as My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind. It’s final film will be When Marnie Was There, released later this year.
Oh-totoro.com (and Hypable) has loosely translated the announcement via tumblr:
“Just moments ago, Toshio Suzuki, Studio Ghibli producer, announced on the TV show of the MBS Jounetsu Tairiku chain effectively as announced as sources close to the studio, Studio Ghibli will close and production studio anime, leaving himself only as a company that will manage its trademarks. As stated in the program’s producer, “the production department of anime will be dismantled,” which coincides with the data that we gave in our previous post on this decision had been taken from spring after the poor reception at the box office of Kaguya-hime no Monogatari.
In the interview, Suzuki has also admitted that it was a major setback for the study progress Hayao Miyazaki, one of the reasons already unveiled the portal Rakuten Woman. Once we have access to the full TV interview, adding more data. No doubt that this is a very sad news for Japanese animation, of which we are all fans, because it is undeniable everything Studio Ghibli has given the anime. Please remember that what will be his last film, Omoide no Marnie, premiered at the Japanese box office on 19 July.”
