The News Thread (for news that does not need a thread)

SnowWolf said:
ConanThe3rd said:
If you're thinking of Sailor Moon Crystal. I think Bandai and Toei are more in bed than Takeouchi will ever be so it'll probably be out when it's due this time around.

That said if they could make the epilogue of Zero Two not exist that'd be swell.
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It might retcon Zero Two altogether.
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Eh, I'd rahter it didn't because if nothing else the Convergence of the Digital and Real Worlds is a really nice way to springboard a bunch of SF Ideas.
 
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It wouldn't surprise me at this point to be honest.

That said, my main worry is that with no new films coming out, they're basically going to turn into a factory that churns out endless Totoro merch and ever-increasing degrees of re-packages of their films to pump the fans for all they're worth. Not to say that's a bad thing - they are the 'Japanese Disney' after all, but it sticks in the throat a little.
 
In an ideal world, I'd like Disney to buy them out and handle the production costs of their films in exchange for things like merchandising and distribution rights.
 
Let's be real here, Miyazaki will never let anyone "inherit" Ghibli unless it was a genetic 1:1 clone of himself (Though god knows Anno is pushing hard to try) and by the time the old hardass is no longer there to dictate terms it will be far too late to turn the studio's fortunes around.
 
In a theoretical world, and given its phenomenal sales over there, I wonder if Disney would ever let Ghibli do an anime version of Frozen? (perish the thought...)
 
Isn't that entirely superfluous?

I mean, sure, I want more DIO In my life, as does anyone who's sane, but there's healthier ways to shoot up pure ZA WORLD into your veins.
 
Come to think of it, in the short term, this news might be a good thing - for the next few days at least, we'll probably see the most coverage anime has had in mainstream media for quite some time as they all run 'RIP Ghibli' / 'who will be the next Ghibli?' pieces. Possibly something to pique the interests of more casual fans to check out something extra.
 
ConanThe3rd said:
Let's be real here, Miyazaki will never let anyone "inherit" Ghibli unless it was a genetic 1:1 clone of himself (Though god knows Anno is pushing hard to try) and by the time the old hardass is no longer there to dictate terms it will be far too late to turn the studio's fortunes around.
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Don't know that I would have put it quite like that, but it seems to me that this is exactly what's happened. If Ghibli closes, I feel (at least to a certain extent), they've only got themselves to blame. Any new talent they've attempted to bring in over the years seems to have been pushed away for not measuring up to the rigorous standards of the grand old men. I do wonder what might have happened if Yoshifumi Kondo had lived, but there's no sense in speculating.
 
I'm still having a hard time believing that Ghibli is closing down its animation unit, as I have yet to see a really credible source report on it (the current one people are linking to is a Tumblr account after all). Which is the main reason I haven't done a front page piece on it yet. How reliable at Catsuka? (I've never heard of them before).
 
Jyounetsu Tairiku (where the JP screengrabs are from) is a legit TV show, so it would have to be the world's least likely troll at this point to not be official.
 
Well, they're not closing down (That tumblr post is a mistranslation, as far as I'm aware) but they are most likely to do some restructuring.

ANN: Ghibli Co-Founder Suzuki: Studio Considers Dismantling Production Department

Anime News Network said:
Studio Ghibli representative director and co-founder Toshio Suzuki appeared on the TBS television program Jōnetsu Tairiku on Sunday to discuss the studio's future after Hayao Miyazaki's retirement from directing feature films.

Suzuki discussed the great changes that the entire studio is undergoing at the studio's shareholders meeting, and mused that these changes may include dismantling the production department. While there has been talk among some about dissolving the studio outright, Suzuki emphasized that the truth is that the studio is considering "housecleaning" or restructuring for now. The end result would be "rebuilding" the studio and creating an environment for the next generation.

Suzuki did not downplay the significance of Miyazaki's retirement. Still, he added, "On what to do with Studio Ghibli's future, it is by no means impossible to keep producing [movies] forever. However, we will take a brief pause to consider where to go from here."

Miyazaki (sitting far left in the picture to the left) retired from directing feature films last year. Suzuki (sitting in center to the left of co-founder and director Isao Takahata) himself stepped down from his producer role this year, although he is assuming the new title of "general manager." The studio's latest film, When Marnie Was There from director Hiromasa Yonebayashi, opened at #3 during the July 19-20 weekend with 378,790,697 yen (US$3,721,297) on 461 screens.

Source: Narinari.com
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Crunchyroll: Studio Ghibli Co-Founder's TV Appearance Stokes Talk of Changes
Crunchyroll said:
Studio Ghibli co-founder, producer and former president Toshio Suzuki appeared on MBS's documentary profile series Jounetsu Tairiku this weekend, and made comments that suggest that fundamental changes may be underway at the revered studio.



Japanese viewers who caught the show took to social media to report that Suzuki indicated that, following disappointing results for recent projects, such as the third place opening of this summer's When Marnie Was There, the studio is moving to halt production while changes are made to the staffing on its production department. Whether this would mean and end to Studio Ghibli's movies, or a change to freelance and outsourced staff was not clear.



Stoking fears of the former option is comments that Suzuki and Hayao Miyazaki made to Cut magazine in 2010. While discussing a Porco Rosso "Last Sortie" sequel, Miyazaki said

"I'm not thinking about a movie of a girl." "I think that I must think about only a movie of a boy." "I do not need to make a movie if it is not a tragic story of a boy." "So I want to escape to "Porco Rosso: The Last Sortie". I have all its materials." "It should be interesting." "It is set for Spanish Civil War." "If next two films succeed and [studio president Toshio] Suzuki-san lets me make it (Porco) while saying, 'It cannot be helped because it's a hobby of the old man', I'm happy. It's my hobby."

... And if the studio fared poorly, he and Suzuki developed a "dissolution program for Ghibli." "For example, Ghibli should be able to continue with about five staff members as a copyright management company even if we smash the studio. So, Ghibli can say 'We stop film production. Goodbye'. I do not have to be there."
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According to Catsuka, the road forward is

According to my informations they will keep a small staff for Hayao Miyazaki projects.
And also the “Momonoma” department, which is Yoshiyuki Momose staff for production of commercials, music videos …
Momonoma artists are already freelance, and this is the reality : most of Studio Ghibli staff today are employees, with long term contracts.
Studio Ghibli can’t pay this staff if there’s no more Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata (expensive but profitable) movies on the way.
Ghibli cost too much today, so they’re just stopping the current system.
Before Porco Rosso, Studio Ghibli staff was freelance.
They’re coming back to this previous system.
It’s a restart, like Hoshino and Suzuki said.
Now they will focus on licensing, and Ghibli Museum.
And wait for new viable projects.
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Rakuten Woman stoked a round of Studio Ghibli shutdown talks the week before last by quoting a source who made similar comments about the production department.



via yaraon @catsuka and @tsk06
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Lutga said:
So basically they're just getting rid of a load of staff because they can't afford them?
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That's what it sounds like

Studio Ghibli can’t pay this staff if there’s no more Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata (expensive but profitable) movies on the way
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Seems to be the important part of it, no big stars making movies = no big profits.

In any event, would Studio Ghibli be as good once those two are gone? Lots of studios can animate well, but that means little without proper writing & direction.
 
They just need some new to them but established talent at the top. They need to restructure to be a bit more like pixar in the business sense.
 
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