After years of working on his latest film without a deadline, Studio Ghibli announced that How do you live? (Kimi-tachi wa Do Ikiru kathe teacher’s new Hayao Miyazakiwill be released on July 14, 2023 in theaters in Japan. Just a decade after the release of his latest feature filmthe wind rises (2013).
The Japanese director is also credited with the original work and the script. The members of the production team and cast will be revealed at a later date. While we wait for more details, Studio Ghibli also shared the first poster of How do you live?illustrated by Miyazaki himself.
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It was in October 2017 when Miyazaki and Ghibli made the official announcement that their next feature film would be inspired by the homonymous classic of Japanese literature by Genzaburo Yoshino. A book that the Oscar winner for Spirited Away has rated as his childhood favourite. In fact, the filmmaker began working on the storyboards of the film in July 2016.
Here is the synopsis of the original 1937 novel (via):
“How do you live? begins with 15-year-old Copper, who has recently suffered the loss of her father. Contemplating his hometown of Tokyo and observing the thousands of people, he begins to reflect on the big questions of life: How many people are there in the world? How are their lives? Are humans really made of molecules? The novel moves between Copper’s story and his uncle’s diary entries, in which he gives her advice and helps her learn fundamental truths about the way the world works. Over the course of a year of his life, Copper embarks on a journey of philosophical enlightenment, using his discoveries about the heavens, the earth, and human nature to determine the best way to live. Copper explores the city on her bike and learns from friends and family what really matters in life.”
Although Miyzaki presented a work schedule for the film, toshio suzuki, producer and co-founder of Studio Ghibli, revealed in a March 2019 essay that the studio soon stopped following through on said plan. “With the production of this new film, we are experimenting with not having a set deadline. I’m looking forward to seeing how that translates to work,” he wrote.
We remind you that much of the filmography of Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli is available on Netflix.