Studio Ghibli confirms upcoming project by ‘Spirited Away’ director

Animation director Hayao Miyazaki, maker of Studio Ghibli masterpieces “Spirited Away,” “Howl’s Moving Castle” and “My Neighbor Totoro,” is set to do another project. The new feature-length project that he will be working on is titled “Boro the Caterpillar.”

The news was announced by Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki during a pre-Oscars interview. The producer was then doing promotions for “The Red Turtle.” “Right now in Tokyo, he’s putting all his effort into making it,” Suzuki told Kyodo News.

The acclaimed animation director had announced his retirement in 2013. Now, he is coming out of retirement for another anime. The last series that Miyazaki has completed was his WWII drama, “The Wind Rises.”

Miyazaki had earlier teased fans about what should be expected from his upcoming work. He said the story of “Boro the Caterpillar” will focus on a small caterpillar that for its size can easily be squished.

Den of Geek notes that the director has been planning the project for more than 20 years now. It seems that doing anime is Miyazaki's passion. He assured his fans in an interview for the documentary, “Hayao Miyazaki: The Man Who Is Not Done,” that he will keep on doing anime until his last days.

Although he had already announced his retirement in features, the animation director continued to work with Studio Ghibli. He has also learned some new skills, such as how to animate on a computer. He was also working on a short film called “Kemushi no Boro.”

Talk was rampant about Miyazaki’s comeback after Kotaku previously reported that he wants to do another feature film. Now fans can be assured of another future work from the director. Studio Ghibli hopes that Miyazaki finishes the feature film by 2019, before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Aside from being a director, Miyazaki is also a producer and screenwriter. He has attained international acclaim as a masterful storyteller along with Isao Takahata, the co-founder of film and animation studio Studio Ghibli.

He co-directed “Lupin III” with Takahata and took care of the screenplay for “Panda! Go Panda!” Miyazaki also co-wrote films, including “The Secret World of Arrietty” and “From Up on Poppy Hill.” He won an Oscar for his film “Spirited Away.”The film also was also recognised as Picture of the Year at the Japanese Academy Awards. His films usually feature humanity's relationship with nature and technology with young girls as protagonists.