Studio Ghibli Will Release Hayao Miyazaki's Next Film HOW DO YOU LIVE? in Summer 2023!
Studio Ghibli has announced that Toho will release Hayao Miyazaki’s long-awaited next film How Do You Live? in Japanese theaters on July 14, 2023. This is Miyazaki’s first feature-length film in 10 years, and Studio Ghibli has been developing it since 2017 with Miyazaki completing 1-minute of animation per month.
The film is an adaptation of Yoshino Genzaburo’s story from 1937, and the story centers on a 15-year-old boy named Honda Junichi, who is “small for his age and fond of mischief, whose father has recently died." He moves in with his uncle after the death of his father and “undergoes a spiritual change.”
The boy lives “a quiet life and comes to learn more about adolescence as he exchanges letters with his uncle. The pair grow and learn from one another as Honda grows bored of his pristine life. However, the uncle’s wise words manage to challenge Honda into doing more with his life than what has come to be expected.”
When previously talking about the film and why he was making it, Miyazaki said, "I am making this movie because I do not have the answer." It’s also explained that the movie is a gift for Miyazaki's grandson. Studio Ghibli co-founder and producer Toshio Suzuki said, "It's his way of saying 'Grandpa is moving on to the next world, but he's leaving behind this film.'"
Studio Ghibli co-founder and producer Toshio Suzuki has also described the film as “fantasy on a grand scale.” There’s no word on when How Do You Live? will be released in the United States, but I can’t wait for the day when I’ve finally be able to watch it.