Theory Database

Wikipedia - Founded in 1985, it is headed by the acclaimed director Hayao Miyazaki along with his colleague and mentor Isao Takahata, as well as the studio's executive managing director and long-time producer Toshio Suzuki. Its origins date back to 1983, with the film Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind, which was popularized as a serialized manga in a publication of Tokuma Shoten's Animage magazine after the original screenplay was rejected. The film was eventually produced by Topcraft and the film's success spurred the formation of Ghibli. Tokuma is the parent company of Studio Ghibli, and it has provided the Walt Disney Company with the video rights to all of Ghibli's output that did not have previous international distribution, including the global, non-Japan distribution rights to Princess Mononoke and Spirited Away. Miyazaki's latest film, Howl's Moving Castle, was based on a book by British author Diana Wynne Jones, published in several countries including Canada and the United States. Composer Joe Hisaishi has provided the soundtrack for all of Miyazaki's Studio Ghibli films.
The most famous and lauded film from the studio that was not directed by Miyazaki is Grave of the Fireflies, directed by Isao Takahata, a sad film focusing on the lives of two war orphans towards the end of Second World War in Japan. This is the only film which Disney declined to distribute.
Over the years, there has been a close relationship between Studio Ghibli and the magazine Animage, which regularly runs exclusive articles about the studio and its members in a section titled "Ghibli Notes." Artwork from Ghibli's films and other works frequently graces the cover of the magazine.
The company is well-known for its strict "no-edits" policy in licensing their films abroad. This has stemmed from the disastrous dubbing of Miyazaki's Nausicaä of the Valley of Wind when the film was released in the United States as Warriors of the Wind (it was heavily edited and Americanized). There is a rumor that when licensing Princess Mononoke, Miyazaki mailed Miramax a katana with a note reading "no cuts", to underline their "no-editing" policy.
Toshio Suzuki, at a Studio Ghibli press conference on 2007-01-17, indicated that the title of the next Miyazaki film would be announced in March 2007.[1] During the March, 19th edition of Japanese news program "NNN News Realtime", the film's title was announced as Gake no ue no Ponyo, literally "Ponyo on a Cliff."[2] It will be released in summer of 2008.