Earlier this week came the news that Studio Ghibli, the fabled animation studio co-founded by legendary filmmaker Hayao Miyazaki, is set to become a subsidiary of Nippon Television (NTV).
The Japanese broadcaster is acquiring a controlling stake in Ghibli, becoming its largest shareholder with 42.3% of voting rights.
Now, in a new report at Nikkei.com (via Discussing Film), it seems the company will have something of a “fresh start” as a Nippon subsidiary.
Toshio Suzuki, president of Ghibli and producer of Miyazaki’s works, says in a statement:
“`We will entrust all management to Nippon Television and concentrate on creating works. We will not only produce movies, but also the possibility of producing TV series.”
Miyazaki himself and his Ghibli co-founder Isao Takahata got their start on television, working on multiple animated series throughout the 1960s and 1970s – most notably “Future Boy Conan,” “Sherlock Hound,” “Anne of Green Gables” and “Lupin III”.
Both made the move to films with Miyazaki’s early Ghibli feature works including “Castle in the Sky” and “My Neighbor Totoro”, whilst Takahata directed “Grave of the Fireflies”.
