Now in his sixth decade of directing animated films and responsible for a dozen Studio Ghibli classics, Hayao Miyazaki surely has nothing left to prove in the industry.
According to his son Goro Miyazaki during a talk at the Ghibli Museum, however, the legendary director may be feeling nostalgic for his next feature (via Oricon and translated by CBR).
"I don't know if it'll actually be for his next film, but it's looking like an action-adventure-type movie, nostalgic and reminiscent of the old days," Goro Miyazaki said, while adding that his father’s hobby of making ‘panoramic boxes of previous works’ during production of The Boy and the Heron has led to work beginning on the new project.
While the original machine translation on Oricon makes a loose reference to a ‘sequel’ – one that looks to be a little lost in translation, if you ask us – some fans are convinced Miyazaki’s new film is going to be a follow-up to 1984’s Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind, encompassing the full manga story written by Miyazaki that eventually concluded in 1994.
"This confirms it's a Nausicaa sequel," one wrote on Twitter. Another added, "If actually true, pointing towards being a Nausicaa sequel."
"Getting more casual Ghibli fans into Nausicaa by making a sequel could be Miyazaki's masterstroke," one commented. "That movie is mindblowingly imaginative and i can only dream of what sort of stuff it might inspire."
Nausicaä of the Valley, which was later released in an uncut, dubbed version by Disney in 2005, is often regarded as one of Miyazaki’s greatest works – a post-apocalyptic fantasy adventure with a strong environmental message that features its hero, Nausicaa, working to save the Valley of the Wind and fulfilling a prophecy.
Previously, whispers intensified after a making-of documentary of The Boy and the Heron featured artwork of Nausicaa and her pet, Teto. During a section on the director’s future, Miyazaki said – curiously – that it’s "painful to return to this world." (H/T ComicBook.com). Watch this space.
For more from the world of anime, check out the best anime you should be watching now and the latest from 2024’s biggest new anime. Then dive into our guides on Demon Slayer season 4 and Jujutsu Kaisen season 3.
