Hayao Miyazaki Retires From Feature Directing

Briefly: We'll have to wait for more info, but Twitch reports that Hayao Miyazaki's retirement from feature directing was announced at the Venice Film Festival, where his new film The Wind Rises is in competition. He didn't make the statement himself; rather, Studio Ghibli president Hoshino Koji announced it. There were no further details.

Long-time fans of the director will recall that this is not the first time the director has announced his intention to retire. Only time will tell whether or not he will truly stay away from features now; the fact that the announcement specifically mentioned feature directing does leave the door open for the filmmaker to craft other work, which will be some consolation to fans.