The studio that created memorable animation films like My Neighbour Totoro, Spirited Away and Ponyo announced they will be closing their animation feature film department.

This news comes only one year after one of Studio Ghibli's co-founders and Oscar-winning filmmaker, Hayao Miyazaki announced he would be retiring from making animated movies after finishing his last work - The Wind Rises. It is said that Studio Ghibli will now focus on managing its copyrights and trademarks from its previous films, and their famed Ghibli museum.

(Read our interview with Studio Ghibli's chief of international division - Geoffrey Wexler!)



This shocking announcement was made on the Jounetsu Tairiku TV show where Studio Ghibli general manager Toshio Suziki delivered the sad news saying 'production department of anime will be dismantled'.

What seems like the last film by Studio Ghibli would be When Marnie Was There which debuted its trailer a last month. The film was released in Japan on July 19, but there is no news of an official release date for Singapore yet.

(Check out the 1st official poster for When Marnie Was There!)





Which is your favourite film from Studio Ghibli? Is it My Neighbor Totoro, Spirited Away , Ponyo, From Up on Poppy Hill, The Wind Rises? Fire away in the comments section below!