Late But Unexpected News: Ghibli co-founder Toshio Suzuki retires as producer! Suzuki takes less hands-on role at studio he co-founded with Hayao Miyazaki, Isao Takahata. 65-year-old producer Toshio Suzuki is voluntarily stepping down from his position at Studio Ghilbli, although he will assume the new title of general manager. Yoshiaki Nishimura will instead be the studios producer for Ghiblis films going forward. Director Hiromasa Yonebayashi is adapting Joan G. Robinsons English childrens novel classic When Marnie Was There (Omoide no Marnie) for release this summer. Suzuki co-founded Studio Ghibli with directors Hayao Miyazaki and Isao Takahata, and he served as its president. Former Walt Disney Japan president Koji Hoshino succeeded Suzuki as Ghiblis president in 2008, although Suzuki remained as produced for all of Ghiblis feature films until last year. Thanks to Suzukis frequent television appearances and his Sunday radio program Suzuki Toshio no Ghibli Asemamire, the Sports Hochi newspaper describes him as the face of Ghibli. Suzukis successor Nishimura made his debut as a produces on Takahatas The Tale of Princess Kaguya, which opened last November. Suzuki was credited for just project planning on The Tale of Princess Kaguya, as he devoted himself to producing Miyazakis final feature film The Wind Rises. For When Marnie was There, Suzukis only roles were selecting the original work and main staff, and then deciding the budget and schedule. Nishimura is handling the actual day-to-day producing at the studio. Miyazaki, Suzukis colleague for three decades, also retired from making feature films last September, although he is drawing a samurai manga on his own free time. Suzuki emphasized that his own decision to retire was not linked to Miyazakis. Instead, he hoped to step aside and boost the new era of Ghibli with young strength such as 36-year-old Nishimura and 40-year-old Yonebayashi. Suzuki was born in Aichi Prefecture on August 19, 1948. He graduated from Keio University with a bachelor of arts degree in 1972 and then joined the publisher Tokuma Shoten. He worked at the Weekly Asahi Geino magazine before he helped launch Animage magazine and served as its second editor-in-chief. In fact, Suzuki was editing Animage with Miyazaki started serializing the landmark Nausicaa of the Valley of the Wind manga in its pages. Suzuki served as Tokumas production committee member on the subsequent Nausicaa anime film, and then participated in the founding of Studio Ghibli in 1985. He officially moved from Tokuma Shoten to Studio Ghibli in 1989 to produce all of its films ever since. He began serving as the studios president, in addition to his other duties, in 2005. Suzuki attended the this years Academy Awards ceremony on behalf of Ghibli and The Wind Rises, which had earned a Best Animated Feature Film nomination. He appeared at a symposium with the other Animated Feature nominees in a traditional Japanese happi coat. There, he said that Miyazaki wanted to make Ponyo Part II, but Suzuki asked the director to adapt his own manga Kaze Tachinu (The Wind Rises) instead. Suzuki just accepted The Wind Rises Japan Academy Prize for Best Animated Feature Film. In his acceptance speech, he drily observed that he learned his lesson - his studio should not make two films in the same year. Source: Rocket News 24
Posted on: Thu, 27 Mar 2014 19:16:52 +0000
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