Mamoru Hosoda was set to direct Studio Ghibli’s Howl’s Moving Castle, but he left the film due to creative differences with the studio.

SUMMARY

The Studio Ghibli film Howl’s Moving Castle, was initially set to be directed by Mamoru Hosoda, who left the project due to Hayao Miyazaki’s prominence.
Hosoda was asked to create the film in the same way Miyazaki would do it, a demand didn’t sit well with the director.
Hosoda decided to let go of the great opportunity, as he felt that if he created the movie exactly as Miyazaki, his career would be over.

Hayao Miyazaki is the face of Studio Ghibli, and fans of the famous studio are familiar with the director’s indomitable vision. His auteurship shines through every film he directs, as they explore some common themes and motifs that he strongly believes in. For many, it would be a dream to have a personality as sharp as Miyazaki.

Sophie and Howl from Howl’s Moving Castle | Credits: Studio Ghibli

However, it can also cause a clash of opinions and someone unyielding like Miyazaki would rarely budge, leaving the other person with a disadvantage. Popular director, Mamoru Hosoda, experienced something similar with the fan-favorite Ghibli film, Howl’s Moving Castle.

Before Miyazaki took over the reins for the film, Hosoda was the director in charge. However, he couldn’t finish the project and had to leave it as a result of the circumstances. The director spoke about his brief experience with Studio Ghibli during an interview.

Mamoru Hosoda Couldn’t Achieve His Vision at Studio Ghibli Due to Miyazaki’s Prominence

Howl and Sophie in Howl’s Moving Castle | Credits: Studio Ghibli

Mamoru Hosoda is a highly regarded figure in the anime-manga industry. His popular works include The Girl Who Leapt Through Time and One Piece: Baron Omatsuri and the Secret Island. Hosoda was announced as the director in charge of Howl’s Moving Castle, but he stepped down from that position in 2002.

Speaking with Polygon during an interview, Hosoda shared that he was expected to make the movie the way Miyazaki would do it, which didn’t sit well with him.

I was told to make [the movie] to similar to how Miyazaki would have made it, but I wanted to make my own film the way I wanted to make it

He also shared that there was a huge difference between his vision and the studio’s expectations, which made him step down from the project. He believed that if he had worked to fulfill those expectations and created the project the way Miyazaki would do it, his career would have been over.

A still from Mamoru Hosoda’s The Girl Who Leapt Through Time | Credits: Studio Madhouse

By this statement, the director probably meant that if he had just copied Miyazaki’s style, it would have meant compromising with his own creative vision, the same vision that landed him the opportunity in the first place. It’s interesting how even working with a highly regarded studio like Studio Ghibli, the director held his vision dear and refused to set it aside.

Even though people initially believed that Hosoda’s career was over after he left the film, the director’s career graph experienced a steep rise after Masao Maruyama, the president of Studio Madhouse at the time, offered him a chance to direct one of the best anime films of all time.

Mamoru Hosoda’s Career After the Fallout with Studio Ghibli

A still from Mirai | Credits: Studio Chizu

The Girl Who Leapt Through Time was released in 2006, four years after Hosoda parted ways with Studio Ghibli. The film garnered critical and commercial acclaim with an impressive 40-week run at the Japanese theatres. After that, with every subsequent movie Hosoda kept breaking his own record. Summer Wars, Wolf Children, The Boy and The Beast, Mirai, and Belle were all box-office successes.

All of these films left an indelible mark on fans. While Belle garnered a 14-minute-long standing ovation at the Cannes Film Festival, Mirai was nominated for the Academy Awards (2019) in the Best Animated Feature category. The director has since found his place in the industry and continues to work on wonderful projects at his own studio, Studio Chizu.

Howl’s Moving Castle is available to stream on Netflix.