Hayao Miyazaki may be coming out of retirement to helm a new anime project, according to statements made by Studio Ghibli’s Toshio Suzuki, Variety is reporting.
 
"This is my guess, but I’m thinking it will be something short," Suzuki, a veteran producer at Studio Ghibli, said.  He elaborated that Miyazaki had talked to him about making a short film for the Ghibli Museum in Japan. 
 
The statements were made on the NHK morning show "Asa Ichi," where Suzuki was appearing to clarify remarks made in a documentary about the 30-year-old studio taking a hiatus from production following the retirement of the iconic creator last year (see "Miyazaki Is Retiring").  Suzuki’s comments were mistranslated by the Film Stage blog, and what was meant to be conveyed as a pause for restructuring and consideration of future plans was reported as plans for complete studio closure.  The internet rumor caught fire, leading to Suzuki’s necessary clarification this week.
 
A hiatus is understandable, given the less than stellar performance of the studio’s post-Miyazaki production (see "Studio Ghibli to Adapt 'When Marnie Was There'").  Still, Miyazaki-related content continues to sell in both movie and print.  VIZ Media has released a steady stream of Miyazaki-related books under its Studio Ghibli imprint, including reprints (see "New 'Princess Mononoke' Releases").