Studio Ghibli Sells Controlling Stake As Founder Hayao Miyazaki Plans Succession
Image via My Neighbor Totoro / IMDb
Studio Ghibli, the beloved Japanese animation studio renowned for films including Howl’s Moving Castle and My Neighbour Totoro, has revealed plans to sell a controlling stake to Japanese broadcaster Nippon Television (NTV).
This transition will see the famed filmmaker becoming a subsidiary of NTV, marking a significant shift in its ownership structure. As part of the deal, executives from NTV are set to assume key roles within the management following the acquisition of a controlling stake amounting to 42.3% of the studio’s voting rights.
Love and friendship through the ages, from the incomparable Hayao Miyazaki. 💙
— GKIDS Films (@GKIDSfilms) September 2, 2023
Who will you take with you when his new adventure THE BOY AND THE HERON hits theatres? pic.twitter.com/rlSJxWzCIV
As it turns out, this partnership isn’t entirely unexpected, given the long-standing history between the two companies. NTV has played a pivotal role in Studio Ghibli’s journey, with notable highlights including its role as the Japanese broadcaster for Hayao Miyazaki’s Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind in 1984.
Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984)
— FilmFrame (@filmfr4me) September 18, 2023
Hayao Miyazaki pic.twitter.com/O7NQxKY67G
The network continued to support the animator’s works by featuring them in its movie program Friday Road Show while investing in Kiki’s Delivery Service, released in 1989. The broadcaster also played a vital role in the establishment of the Ghibli Museum in Mitaka in 2001.
— Studio Ghibli (@GhibliUSA) August 18, 2023
Naturally, this significant move has sparked curiosity about the future of Studio Ghibli under the conglomerate. Given that animation maestro Hayao Miyazaki, who has famously “unretired” multiple times, is now 82 years old, and producer Suzuki Toshio is 75, talks about succession are in full swing.
While many expected Goro Miyazaki, the founder’s eldest son, to take over the helm, the former has firmly declined, preferring to “leave the future of the company to others.”
Discovering the world of Hayao Miyazaki's THE BOY AND THE HERON, having its International Premiere at #TIFF23 as our Opening Night film. pic.twitter.com/lHMbBdX83x
— TIFF (@TIFF_NET) August 21, 2023
[via Variety and The Japan Times, cover image via My Neighbor Totoro / IMDb]
This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been manually reviewed & edited.
