Hayao Miyazaki Says He’s Preparing to Make His Final Film

Hayao Miyazaki is a legend among anime fans, and he is preparing to make his final film. Miyazaki, who is synonymous with the critically acclaimed Studio Ghibli that he helped put on the map through films like Spirited Away and My Neighbor Totoro, told the New York Times that he’s making a last film titled How Do You Live?.

Announced in 2017, the animated film is Miyazaki’s return after he announced his retirement once he completed 2013’s The Wind Rises. When asked why he is coming back for one more movie, the filmmaker said with a grin, “Because I wanted to.”

The film is based on the 1937 Genzaburo Yoshino novel about 15-year-old boy, Koperu, and his uncle who go on a journey where Koperu “confronts spiritual growth, poverty, and the overall experience as human beings.”

In addition to Spirited Away — the only non-Western film ever to win Best Animated Film at the Oscars — and Totoro, Miyazaki’s films include the classics Lupin III: The Castle of Cagliostro, Castle in the Sky, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and Howl’s Moving Castle, among others. How Do You Live? does not yet have an expected release date.