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Miyazaki's Not Retired—He's Working on His First 3D-Animation

"I intend to work until the day I die."
Spirited Away, 2001, via

Japanese animation legend and Studio Ghibli founder, Hayao Miyazaki, the mind behind dreamlike classics Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke, and Howl's Moving Castle, has un-"retired" once again to work on his first 3D animated film, according to an announcement from his son Goro Miyazaki.

The 10-minute short will follow a catarpillar named Boro, reports Cartoon Brew. In a July 10 lecture, co-founder Toshio Suzuki added that it will take three years to make, though it is unclear what stage of production the 74-year-old animator is in at the moment. The film will be screened exclusively at the Studio Ghibli museum in Japan.

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Miyazaki has been a champion of hand-drawn animation in the past, his processes preserved in The Kingdom of Dreams and Madness, a documentary about the making of his final feature film, The Wind Rises. In a Variety interview last year, however, he said, "I think talent decides everything. More than the method, what’s important is the talent using it. There’s nothing inherently wrong or right about a method, whether it be pencil drawings or 3D CG. Pencil drawings don’t have to go away, but those who continue to use the medium lack talent. So sadly, it will fade away." He continues, "I intend to work until the day I die."

It remains to be seen how Miyazaki's iconic style will translate to CG animation, but it looks like Ghibli fans' price of admission will require a ticket to Tokyo.

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