Studio Ghibli will become a subsidiary of Nippon Television.
As detailed on Anime News Network, Nippon TV Representative Director Yoshikuni Sugiyama and Studio Ghibli President Toshio Suzuki announced the acquisition plan in a recent press conference. Nippon Television, which has been a long-term partner of the famous studio, plans to buy 42.3% of Ghibli’s shares, turning the latter into a subsidiary of Nippon TV. According to Chairman Suzuki, the goal of this partnership is to ensure successors for Ghibli, as Suzuki and co-founder Hayao Miyazaki are 75 years old and 82 years old, respectively. In addition, Miyazaki’s son, Goro Miyazaki, turned down an offer to become the future leader of the studio.
Nippon TV has been associated with Ghibli and its co-founders for more than three decades. In 1985, the network introduced Miyazaki’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind (1984) on the “Kinyo Roadshow” programming block. The financial success of Nausicaa eventually paved the way for the formation of Ghibli, the studio behind beloved classics like Castle in the Sky (1986), Kiki’s Delivery Service (1989), My Neighbor Totoro ( 1988) and Spirited Away (2001), among many others. NTV, which also hosts iconic animated films such as Lupine III, Inuyasha and Detective Conan, continues to show Ghibli films regularly on its programming.
Although Ghibli is preparing for a future without its co-founder, Miyazaki’s latest film, The Boy and the Heron, has made a prominent mark on the anime scene this year. Released on July 14, the film grossed more than 7.4 billion yen (approximately $50.17 million) during its theatrical run in Japan. Set during World War II, The Boy and the Heron follows Mahito Maki, a young boy who has just lost his mother in the 1943 Tokyo bombing. After moving with his father to the countryside, Mahito comes across a heron. Talking promises to reunite those who are grieving. boy with mother. This strange encounter eventually draws Mahito into an alternate magical world, where he must rely on his inner strength to find his way back home. The film will hit North American theaters on December 8
On September 7, The Boy and the Heron had its Western premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival (TIFF), where director Guillermo del Toro made a surprise appearance to congratulate Miyazaki on his latest win. “We were privileged enough to live in an era when Mozart was composing symphonies,” the director said. “Miyazaki-san is a master of that caliber and we are lucky to be here.” While Studio Ghibli will be under the management of Nippon TV for the foreseeable future, Studio Ghibli Vice President Junichi Nishioka affirmed that The Boy and the Heron will not be Miyazaki’s last film, as he continues to brainstorm and divide Share new ideas for an unspecified future project.
Studio Ghibli’s movie library is available on Max (formerly HBO Max).
Source: Anime News Network
