Hayao Miyazaki begins to feel worried about the premiere of How do you live? (Kimi-tachi wa Do Ikiru ka). We are exactly two weeks away from the release of what will presumably be the legendary filmmaker’s last film in Japan. However, what should be billed as a must-see movie event will hit theaters with an atypical strategy… to say the least.
Producer Toshio Suzuki has decided to bring How do you live? directly to theaters without showing any promotional material to the public, except for the official poster. This is how the co-founder of Studio Ghibli also explained his decision in an interview with the magazine Bungei Shunju at the beginning of June:
“They will want to see for themselves what the film is about. And to do that, they will have to go to a movie theater,” Toshio said. “I have been involved with our films since Nausicaä of the Valley of the Wind (1984), but this was the first time Hayao Miyazaki really praised me. ‘Suzuki-san, this is amazing. This is the best poster you’ve ever made. I felt like it was a clue, so I decided, ‘Let’s go with just this poster for marketing.’ So no trailers or TV commercials, no newspaper ads either. Deep down, I think this is what moviegoers latently want.”
You might also be interested: For this reason Studio Ghibli will not release any trailer for How do you live?
Certainly, Hayao Miyazaki and Studio Ghibli are not only synonymous with prestige, but have also become a guarantee of commercial success in Japan. As an example, three of his films are in the Top 10 of the Japanese box office: Spirited Away (2° place), Princess Mononoke (7th place) and The amazing wandering castle (9° place). Even so, nothing guarantees that the public will pack the rooms if it is not aware, from the beginning, that a new film by the Oscar winner is already being shown.
So what does Hayao Miyazaki think about this risky bet for How do you live?? The octogenarian director opened up about this issue during the opening of a Ghibli exhibition at Almacén Terrada in Tokyo (via oricon):
“I wonder if it will be alright [la película] Whithout ads. I’m starting to worry. I believe in you, Suzuki-san. But I’m worried, that’s all.”
His new feature film takes its name from the homonymous classic of Japanese literature written by Genzaburo Yoshino in 1937. The novel follows a Tokyo teenager who, after the death of his father, begins to ask himself many essential questions of life and begins a spiritual journey where the advice and teachings of an uncle of his are vital for his growth. However, it seems that the film would not consist of a literal adaptation. Rather, it tells an original story, written by Miyazaki, in which the book is a key element within the fiction.
How do you live? opens on July 14, 2023 in theaters in Japan. At the moment, there is still no information regarding its potential launch in international markets.