Studio Ghibli Has Built a Magical World. What Happens Next?

— Surya Prakash Josyula

The moment Studio Ghibli announces a new movie, fans around the world start waiting. That is how special Ghibli has become. A Ghibli film is never just another animated movie. With films like My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle, the studio created magical worlds that connected with both children and adults.

A Ghibli movie does not simply tell a story and end. Its characters, music, visuals and emotions stay with you long after the credits roll. That is why fans always want to know when the next Ghibli movie is coming.

But this time, there is a different feeling behind that wait. There is excitement, but there is also worry.

It has been a while since Ghibli released a new film. So fans are beginning to wonder when the next one will arrive. More importantly, they are asking whether the studio will continue making films in the same way at all.

And then comes the bigger question: What happens to Ghibli after Hayao Miyazaki?

Miyazaki is now 85. For nearly four decades, he has been one of the biggest creative forces behind the studio. But there is still no clearly announced successor who can carry that responsibility forward.

That has left fans with plenty of questions. Will Ghibli continue in the same way? Will a new generation of filmmakers carry its artistic legacy forward? Or will the Ghibli world slowly become something people remember rather than something they continue to experience?

Four Decades of a Magical World

Studio Ghibli was founded in 1985 by Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata and Toshio Suzuki. At the beginning, it was simply another animation studio.

Then came films such as My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki’s Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, Spirited Away and Howl’s Moving Castle. Slowly, Ghibli created a world of its own.

Its films looked simple enough for children to enjoy, but underneath those stories were much bigger ideas — war, nature, family, loneliness, love and humanity. That is one reason Ghibli connected with adults just as strongly as it did with children.

Its films have earned more than $2 billion at the worldwide box office and won two Academy Awards. But Ghibli’s success cannot be measured only by money. The studio created its own language of storytelling and, in many ways, created a new standard for animated cinema.

That is exactly why the question of what comes after Miyazaki matters so much.

Why Ghibli Is Different

Most animation studios have a familiar formula. A movie becomes a hit, then comes the sequel. If the sequel works, another one follows. Then come merchandise, series, theme parks and everything else built around a successful character.

Ghibli has largely stayed away from that model. There is no Totoro 2. There is no Spirited Away 2. Instead, every film creates a completely new world.

That also makes the filmmaking process very different. A Ghibli movie cannot simply be made because the market wants another one. The right story, the right world and the right creative idea have to come together.

As Goro Miyazaki has explained, making a Ghibli film is a difficult and slow process. That slow approach is part of Ghibli’s strength. But it also makes the succession problem much harder.

So, Who Could Be the Heir?

Naturally, many eyes turned to Goro Miyazaki, Hayao Miyazaki’s eldest son. Goro has already directed films for Ghibli and knows the studio well.

But that is where the story takes an interesting turn. Goro has not shown much interest in taking on that huge responsibility. And Hayao Miyazaki himself has not insisted that his son should become his successor.

In 2023, Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki revealed that he had considered Goro as a possible successor. But Goro had refused, and Hayao was also against the idea.

That tells us something important about Ghibli. Its legacy cannot simply be passed down through the family.

Being Miyazaki’s son is not enough. A future Ghibli filmmaker has to understand the spirit of the studio without simply copying Miyazaki. That is a much bigger challenge.

A New CEO From Outside

In 2023, Nippon Television Holdings acquired a 42.3% stake in Ghibli. The company then began making changes to its management structure.

Kenichi Yoda became Ghibli’s CEO on June 22, 2026. But Yoda is not coming in with a plan to completely change Ghibli. In fact, the bigger challenge appears to be protecting what makes Ghibli special.

A CEO can create a business strategy. But no business plan can automatically protect four decades of artistic identity, storytelling and audience trust.

That is why having a new CEO does not solve Ghibli’s biggest question.

Who will carry its creative legacy?

Money Is Not the Problem

Ghibli is not a struggling company waiting to be rescued. As of March 2025, the company had around ¥44 billion in assets and made roughly ¥6 billion in net profit the previous year.

So the lack of a new movie is not simply about money. The real issue is much harder. Ghibli needs the right story, the right creative reason and the right people to make the next film.

That is what makes the studio different from a regular animation company.

The World Is Moving Toward AI. What About Ghibli?

At the same time, the animation industry is changing rapidly. AI is making it possible to create visuals and animation faster and, potentially, at a lower cost.

In 2025, AI-generated “Ghibli-style” images became a global sensation. Pictures of celebrities such as Sam Altman and Mike Tyson were also turned into Ghibli-style images. That sparked a bigger conversation about Ghibli and AI.

Many people saw Ghibli as a symbol of traditional, human-made art. But the reality is more complicated. Ghibli is not simply rejecting AI technology.

The bigger question is this: As technology changes faster than ever, can Ghibli protect the artistic quality that made it special in the first place?

Ghibli Has Become Bigger Than Movies

Ghibli is no longer just a film studio. There is the Ghibli Museum. There is Ghibli Park. Stories such as Spirited Away, Princess Mononoke and My Neighbor Totoro have also moved to the stage.

Ghibli exhibitions have travelled around the world, while merchandise has turned its characters into a global cultural brand. Since 2020, Ghibli films have also become available on Netflix outside Japan, with HBO Max carrying them in the US.

So even without a constant flow of new movies, Ghibli has grown into something much bigger than a movie company.

But that makes the question of its future even more important.

And Miyazaki Is Still There

There is one final twist in this story. Miyazaki is 85. Yet he still comes to the Ghibli studio every day.

What is he doing there? Is he working on another film? Is he thinking about a new animation idea? Or is he simply returning once again to the world he has spent his life creating?

Nobody seems to know for sure. Not even the new CEO, Kenichi Yoda. And apparently, not even his son Goro Miyazaki.

Only Miyazaki knows.

That may be the biggest mystery of all.

So, What Happens to Ghibli?

One generation created the art. Now comes the difficult part — passing that art to the next generation.

If Ghibli succeeds, it could continue creating new worlds for another 40 years. If it fails, Totoro, Chihiro and Howl may still live forever in the memories of fans, even if they stop appearing in new Ghibli movies.

But fans do not want Ghibli to live only in their memories. They want another magical world. Another unforgettable story. Another Ghibli film.

And that is why the world is not simply waiting for the next Ghibli movie anymore.

It is waiting to see what Ghibli becomes after Miyazaki.

That may be the biggest mystery the studio has ever faced.