Is Studio Ghibli, the finest 2-D animation house in the world, working on a project with Lucasfilm? That’s what they implied today when they sent out a tweet containing just an image of their respective logos. (And no, it’s not fake, but we only know that because every other news outlet is reporting on it too. What little value Twitter had in being an honest source of information was snuffed out yesterday).
— スタジオジブリ STUDIO GHIBLI (@JP_GHIBLI) November 10, 2022
So what could it be? The most obvious (and disappointing) answer is that this has something to do with Star Wars Visions, the anime anthology currently in production on its second season. While we agree Star Wars Visions is great, this would mean the Ghibli project would be just twenty or even fifteen minutes long. You don’t get them just for THAT!
Our deep wish is that this means an actual Star Wars movie from Ghibli. If it is, though, don’t assume the direct involvement of the legendary Hayao Miyazaki — we know he drops in and out of retirement all the time, but his current commitment is to a film called “How Do You Live?” which is based on a 1937 novel from Yoshino Genzaburo of the same name. That film currently has no release date.
It might not even be a Star Wars project at all. Well, the odds of it being Star Wars are something like 95 percent, but Lucasfilm produces more than just space epics. Disney is trying to resurrect Indiana Jones — that would be a weird fit for the people who made My Neighbor Totoro but the possibility is there. Maybe it’s a Willow cartoon. Maybe Strange Magic is getting a 2D sequel. …On second thought, it’s definitely a Star Wars thing.
We should hear more about this mystery project soon, according to official sources. Don’t let us down, guys!
