Japanese director Hayao Miyazaki of the animated movie "Ponyo" smiles as he poses for a picture in Los Angeles July 28, 2009.[Photo/Agencies]

Oscar-winning Japanese director Miyazaki to retire

Renowned Japanese animated film producer Ghibli Studio, which penned the Oscar-winning Spirited Away, is rumored to have halted production after director Hayao Miyazaki announced his retirement last September.

On Aug 3, co-founder Toshio Suzuki told Jounetsu Tairiku, a hit Japanese documentary program that tracks the lives of famous people, that the company was likely to undergo an overhaul and a shutdown has also been discussed.

"It is by no means impossible to keep producing (films) forever. However, we will take a brief pause to consider where to go from here", Suzuki said during his TV appearance.

This comment has pushed the previous rumors to a whole new level. Most Japanese media interpreted Suzuki's words as a confirmation of the studio's end.

Previously, the studio admitted that the departure of its most recognizable filmmaker caused them to rethink the future. A Ghibli Studio spokesman in Tokyo gave a firmer and clearer answer to the rumor yesterday: "Ghibli does not plan to stop producing animated films, but needs to reconsider the course of its future."