When one sits and thinks of the most influential anime creators of all time, everyone would agree that Hayao Miyazaki is definitely the name that comes to their mind. The anime creator developed an interest in storytelling and drawing from a young age, with his career spanning several decades with 11 films. However, these films have captivated the audience with their unique story, striking animation, and understanding of human emotions.
However, as all good things come to an end, the Spirited Away director is also at the end of his career. But before Hayao Miyazaki retires, he decided to make a final film titled, How Do You Live. However, he has expressed some concerns as Studio Ghibli announced that they will not release any promotional content for the film which will supposedly pique the interest of the viewers.
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Hayao Miyazaki Concerned For No Marketing For His Film
Toshio Suzuki, the representative director and producer of Studio Ghibli stated that the studio will practice a new form of marketing for the film, the new campaign will not release any content for the film, which includes pictures, teasers, trailers or any form of promotion. As he thinks that this form of content provides too much information regarding the movie, making it less interesting to watch.
“I felt that the fact that there was too much information, from the head to the bottom, was a little less interesting for those who watched the movie. What would you think if there was no publicity? In my opinion, in this age of information, the lack of information can be entertainment.”
However, Toshio Suzuki added that he was not sure that this approach will be a guaranteed success, but he has faith, hence he is doing it.
“I don’t know if this will work. I will believe it. That’s why I’m doing it.”
However, doing nothing to promote his last film, has made Hayao Miyazaki extremely concerned, as he has admitted to being nervous regarding this form of marketing.
“I wonder if it’ll be okay without publicity. I am beginning to worry […] I’m concerned, that’s all.”
The On Your Mark director’s concern is justified as the film took him a decade to complete and to think that the film will not do as his other works would definitely start to eat him from the inside.
How Do You Live Holds A Special Place In Hayao Miyazaki’s Heart
While not doing enough promotion for Hayao Miyazaki’s How Do You Live seems to be strange, the runtime for the film seems to match the other films by Ghibli Studio, which is of 2 hours and 4 minutes. While there is not enough information to share about How Do You Live, due to the unusual marketing strategy, fans are still excited about it.
However, it was revealed that the anime film is based on the 1937 novel of the same name by the Japanese author, Yuzo Yamamoto. This explains the reason why the Ponyo director is so attached to the film, as he was born in 1941 and this attachment also forced him to come out of retirement and make one last movie which took him a decade to complete.
How Do You Live is yet to get a release date in the USA, however, it is set to premiere on big screens on 14th July 2023 in Japan.
Source: Oricon
