New Studio Ghibli Movie From Hayao Miyazaki Opening Summer 2023

Reports of Hayao Miyazaki's retirement have been greatly exaggerated ... again. The legendary Japanese animation filmmaker and Studio Ghibli co-founder has un-retired once more to direct "How Do You Live?," an animated movie that is said to be loosely based on the 1937 novel of the same name by Yoshino Genzaburō. A coming-of-age drama, the book centers on a 15-year-old boy who is left to grapple with the mysteries of life, the universe, and everything else in between after enduring hardships in both his personal life and at school.

If that sounds like the type of story that would make for a fitting swan song for a director of Miyazaki's repute, that's because it may actually end up being just that, but for real this time. Miyazaki has indicated his adaptation of Genzaburō's novel will be closer to a grand-scale fantasy than a simple YA drama, which again feels befitting of the mind behind movies like "My Neighbor Totoro," "Princess Mononoke," and "Spirited Away." And while it goes without saying, "How Do You Live?" also promises to be as poignant as Miyazaki films come. "I am making this movie because I do not have the answer [to the film's title]," as the filmmaker previously put it.

While he might not have the answer to that particular question (don't be too hard on yourself, Hayao ol' buddy, most of us are still working that one out for ourselves), at least we now know when the film will be hitting theaters in Japan. Studio Ghibli has confirmed the movie will arrive there in the summer of 2023, with the plans for its international rollout yet to be revealed.