Studio Ghibli announced that Hayao Miyazaki’s highly anticipated film, How Do You Live?, will make history as the first Studio Ghibli film to receive a simultaneous IMAX release alongside its local release in Japan on July 14. Along with IMAX, the film will also be screened in Dolby Atmos, Dolby Cinema, and DTS:X formats.
Studio Ghibli producer Toshio Suzuki shared that the film will not receive any marketing; no trailers, TV spots, newspaper ads, or revealed information regarding the plot, voice cast, or most of the film’s staff.
You may ask why Hayao and Toshio decided to throw away traditional marketing. In short, Hayao Miyazaki wants his audience to experience the raw excitement of watching a film without any preconceived opinions or expectations, allowing them to fully understand and enjoy the story.
We can now experience the well-known magic of a Studio Ghibli film on large screens and immersive sound, courtesy of IMAX. Fans of Hayao Miyazaki’s work and anime enthusiasts eagerly await to watch the stunning visuals that have become a staple of his films. The fact we can experience the film in great quality only makes it more exciting.
The Less we Know, the Better – How Do You Live Film
A great song by Tame Impala, right? But, we’re not talking about that right now. We’re talking about how it’s great we know so little about “How Do You Live?.” Once you hear the name “Studio Ghibli,” you’re already convinced to watch the film. Be it any animated film, if it’s a Studio Ghibli production, then you know it’s fantastic.
As mentioned earlier, no posters (except for the one as seen below), or trailers concerning the film have been released, nor has any information about the plot and voice cast been announced. In an interview with Bungeishunjū magazine, Miyazaki spoke about why he chose to make this creative decision.
In the interview, Miyazaki revealed the protagonist is greatly inspired by Genzaburō Yoshino’s 1937 novel of the same name. The novel follows a boy, who recently lost his father and suddenly questions everything around him. “How many people are in the world? What do their lives look like? Are humans really made of molecules?”.
Toshio Suzuki’s marketing strategies have always been on prioritizing quality and trusting those who truly understand the film’s essence to handle its promotion. However, this time he took a different route and let the audience decide for themselves, whether or not they wanted to watch the film.
It may be a very bold decision to take, but it surely paid off. A large number of people, including myself, are waiting for the release of this film to finally know what its about. Miyazaki’s mastery of storytelling can be seen through his previous works such as “Spirited Away,” “My Neighbor Totoro,” and “Princess Mononoke.”
Though this no marketing strategy was aimed at helping people fully enjoy the movie, people have been speculating what the movie could be about, because when you know a professional like Miyazaki has been working on a movie since 2016, then it’s impossible not to be curious about it.
I remember first watching Spirited Away and feeling emotions I never thought I could feel. So to say I’m excited about ‘How Do You Live?” is an understatement. Most of his other works are highly rated and have received countless positive reviews. Releasing on July 14, Hayao’s new masterpiece will stream on Crunchyroll and local Japanese streaming networks.
