One of the biggest movies coming out this summer in the anime world - and in all Japanese film, for that matter - will arguably beHow Do You Live?. It isStudio Ghibli’s latest film, and the first one in a decade directed by Hayao Miyazaki himself. Even though the movie will release this summer, though, the only thing we have so far is a poster and the movie’s name.
And according to the producer of the film, Toshio Suzuki, that is all we are going to get. There will be no trailer before the movie comes out, no plot synopsis, not even a cast list. The only information that was provided is that it is a “grand fantasy” story that shares a name with a book published in 1937, but is unrelated to that book. Oh, and it comes out on July 14th, 2023. That’s literally all we know, and all we are going to know untilHow Do You Live?releases.
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Suzuki shared more about this marketing strategy - or lack thereof - with Manabu Shintani Japanese magazineBungei Shunjijust a few days' ago on the magazine’s YouTube channel. When questioned about whyStudio Ghibliis not promoting the movie simply because it does not need to. He believes that people will come and see the film anyway, and they do not need to advertise it the way they have in the past.
Suzuki went on to say that this method of not promoting a movie would be good for the movie industry as a whole. According to him, many people will watchtwo or three trailers for a movieand already know the whole story. They only go to the cinema to confirm what they already know. He does not see the point in doing that, and he is making a good point himself.
To be honest, Suzuki is right that the film likely does not need a trailer or any further information to entice people to flock to the cinema to see it. It is the first traditionally animated movie from Studio Ghibli sinceWhen Marie Was Therecame out back in 2014, and the first film since 2013’sThe Wind Risesthat is being directed by 82-year-old Miyazaki himself. That is enough to get people interested, even without any more information.
But for diehard Studio Ghibli fans, just the name of the studio and director is indeed enough. Not every studio and every director would be able to pull this off, but Studio Ghibli can. We predict that come July,How Do You Live?will top the box office in Japan without ever spending a yen on advertising - and like everyStudio Ghiblifilm, people will come away satisfied, andperhaps a little changed.
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How Do You Live?releases in Japanese cinemas on July 01, 2025.
