Studio Ghibli To Be Acquired By Nippon TV

Pom Poko screenshot

Studio Ghibli, the famous anime film studio behind classics like Spirited Away, Ponyo, and My Neighbour Totoro, has been facing a bit of a crisis in recent years. With Hayao Miyazaki, the de facto face of the company, having effectively retired a decade ago, there was no clear successor to fill his shoes. Now, it seems like Ghibli is on a path to a more sustainable future in a post-Miyazaki world.

Studio Ghibli and broadcaster Nippon TV have made a joint announcement that the latter will acquire the former, with Ghibli becoming a subsidiary of Nippon TV. The broadcaster will receive 42.3% of the animation studio’s voting rights for an undisclosed sum, though it said that Ghibli would retain its autonomy even after the acquisition.

Hayao Miyazaki retired from making feature films in 2013 following the release of The Wind Rises, but came out of retirement to write and direct The Boy and the Heron this year. The film was largely expected to be the 82-year-old’s last, but some have suggested he may continue to work on future projects in some capacity.

Miyazaki’s son, Goro, was once expected to take over the leadership of the studio, but Studio Ghibli says he “firmly rejected” the idea, saying it was too much for him to shoulder. Other candidates from within the company have been considered, but none have been a suitable fit.

How Studio Ghibli will operate under Nippon TV is still somewhat of a mystery, but given Nippon TV has a long history of engaging with and helping to fund the studio, it’s likely that not much will change.

Ghibli has released a number of feature films without Miyazaki in the years since his initial retirement, with some being received better than others. When Marnie Was There and The Red Turtle are among the more successful films in the studio’s slate, while Goro Miyazaki’s Earwig and the Witch received a largely negative reception from critics and audiences.

Hayao Miyazaki’s return to the studio with The Boy and the Heron has spawned fantastic results though, with the mysterious new Ghibli film opening to strong ticket sales in Japan, despite an almost total absence of marketing in the country. The film has been less secretive ahead of its release in the west, with a new The Boy and the Heron trailer being revealed alongside the US release date.